Best Environmental Science Schools Near Orlando, FL (2026)

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

Orlando, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $6,410 to $72,533 per year for indexed programs. Orlando has a population of about 311,732. Median household income is $69,268 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $82,500 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to Orlando

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental science programs near Orlando, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Orlando 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 Orlando. 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

Stetson University

DeLand, FL 38.5 miles from Orlando
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
56.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 72%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,642
Avg net price $19,372/yr
Tuition
In‑state$57,410
Out‑of‑state$57,410
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Florida Institute of Technology

Melbourne, FL 52.4 miles from Orlando
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,137
Avg net price $35,639/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Daytona State College

Daytona Beach, FL 53.0 miles from Orlando
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,096
Avg net price $7,177/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Bethune-Cookman University

Daytona Beach, FL 53.7 miles from Orlando
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
35.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,518
Avg net price $12,030/yr
Tuition
In‑state$14,794
Out‑of‑state$14,794
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 59%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL 71.2 miles from Orlando
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 43%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,743
Avg net price $9,812/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,410
Out‑of‑state$17,324
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 151

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Hillsborough Community College

Tampa, FL 77.5 miles from Orlando
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,782
Avg net price $3,861/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 88

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

St Petersburg College

St. Petersburg, FL 92.6 miles from Orlando
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,557
Avg net price $1,471/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Flagler College

Saint Augustine, FL 97.6 miles from Orlando
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,483
Avg net price $30,525/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Environmental Science Wages Near Orlando

Orlando is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area (BLS area code 36740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$64,840Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL$63,945
Conservation Scientist$61,630Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL$60,779
Environmental Engineer$82,500Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL$81,361
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$68,200Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL$67,258

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.

Orlando at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population311,732Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$69,268Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+42.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)101.4 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Orlando-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Orlando, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Orlando. The closest is Stetson University in DeLand, FL (38.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of South Florida (71.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Orlando are: Environmental Engineer ($82,500), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($68,200), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($64,840). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Winter Park instead of Orlando?

Winter Park, FL is 8.2 miles from Orlando 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 Orlando an affordable place to study environmental science?

Orlando’s median household income of $69,268 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Orlando while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Orlando

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

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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