Best Environmental Science Schools Near Palatine, IL (2026)

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

Palatine, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs. Palatine has a population of about 66,548. Median household income is $95,950 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $110,700 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to Palatine

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

Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL 17.4 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,756
Avg net price $26,975/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL 19.2 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,234
Avg net price $14,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 19.2 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,363
Avg net price $29,167/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 167

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL 21.4 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,530
Avg net price $36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

DePaul University

Chicago, IL 27.1 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,751
Avg net price $30,902/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 166

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, IL 33.9 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
51.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,700
Avg net price $19,125/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL 35.5 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
73.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,099
Avg net price $17,028/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,200
Out‑of‑state$39,200
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL 67.1 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,213
Avg net price $20,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Environmental Science Wages Near Palatine

Palatine is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$85,310Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$82,346
Conservation Scientist$62,710Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$60,531
Environmental Engineer$110,700Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$106,853
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$79,780Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$77,008

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.

Palatine at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population66,548Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$95,950Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+49.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Palatine-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Palatine, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Palatine. The closest is Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL (17.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is DePaul University (27.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Palatine are: Environmental Engineer ($110,700), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($85,310), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($79,780). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Rolling Meadows instead of Palatine?

Rolling Meadows, IL is 3.1 miles from Palatine 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 Palatine an affordable place to study environmental science?

Palatine’s median household income of $95,950 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palatine while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Palatine

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

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.

Back to Best Environmental Science Schools in Illinois (2026)