Best Environmental Science Schools Near Thornton, CO (2026)

Updated September 1, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Thornton, Colorado has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $4,902 to $29,391 per year for indexed programs. Thornton has a population of about 142,878. Median household income is $100,985 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $107,880 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to Thornton

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental science programs near Thornton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Thornton city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Thornton. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Front Range Community College

Westminster, CO 5.1 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,910
Avg net price $13,031/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Regis University

Denver, CO 10.2 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,105
Avg net price $18,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO 12.6 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,093
Avg net price $15,327/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 107

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Community College of Denver

Denver, CO 12.7 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
37.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,095
Avg net price $9,450/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,902
Out‑of‑state$17,136
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

Denver, CO 13.4 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
61.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,270
Avg net price $11,900/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,383
Out‑of‑state$29,391
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Denver

Denver, CO 16.8 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,155
Avg net price $36,131/yr
Tuition
In‑state$61,398
Out‑of‑state$61,398
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Fort Collins, CO 45.8 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
69.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 89%
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,543
Avg net price $21,279/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,373
Out‑of‑state$34,783
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 144

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Colorado College

Colorado Springs, CO 74.3 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
63.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 18%
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,222
Avg net price $33,375/yr
Tuition
In‑state$70,734
Out‑of‑state$70,734
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Colorado schools on the Colorado environmental science page.

Environmental Science Wages Near Thornton

Thornton is part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (BLS area code 19740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$95,780Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$90,529
Conservation Scientist$81,190Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$76,739
Environmental Engineer$107,880Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$101,966
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$80,540Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$76,125

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Thornton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population142,878Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$100,985Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)105.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Thornton-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Thornton, CO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Thornton. The closest is Front Range Community College in Westminster, CO (5.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus (13.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying environmental science roles near Thornton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Thornton are: Environmental Engineer ($107,880), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($95,780), Conservation Scientist ($81,190). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Northglenn instead of Thornton?

Northglenn, CO is 1.9 miles from Thornton and has its own set of local environmental science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Thornton an affordable place to study environmental science?

Thornton’s median household income of $100,985 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Thornton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Environmental Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Thornton

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Thornton:

Data verified: September 1, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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