Peru, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $16,144 to $47,313 per year for indexed programs. Peru has a population of about 9,863. Median household income is $68,147 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $107,990 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Environmental Science Schools to Peru
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental science programs near Peru, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Peru 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Peru.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,641
Avg net price
$17,349/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 57%
- Programs offered: 29
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,852
Avg net price
$22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 97
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
71%
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,099
Avg net price
$17,028/yr
TuitionIn‑state$39,200
Out‑of‑state$39,200
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 85
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
88%
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,117
Avg net price
$19,398/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,144
Out‑of‑state$28,210
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 112
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,756
Avg net price
$26,975/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 93%
- Programs offered: 49
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,213
Avg net price
$20,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 69%
- Programs offered: 85
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
71%
Graduation rate
68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,820
Avg net price
$24,595/yr
TuitionIn‑state$57,903
Out‑of‑state$57,903
Key stats- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 41
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,700
Avg net price
$19,125/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 45
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois environmental science page.
Environmental Science Wages Near Peru
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide) |
|---|
| Environmental Scientist and Specialist | $81,590 |
| Conservation Scientist | $69,590 |
| Environmental Engineer | $107,990 |
| Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist | $79,780 |
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.
Peru at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 9,863 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $68,147 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 21.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Other Peru-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs
- Ottawa, IL – 15.7 mi away (20,087 pop)
- Sterling, IL – 42.6 mi away (27,961 pop)
- DeKalb, IL – 44.9 mi away (67,501 pop)
- Oswego, IL – 47.3 mi away (34,571 pop)
- Braidwood, IL – 47.6 mi away (22,563 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited environmental science schools are near Peru, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Peru. The closest is Eureka College in Eureka, IL (44.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Wheaton College (64.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying environmental science roles in Illinois?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles in Illinois are: Environmental Engineer ($107,990), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($81,590), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($79,780). Wages for Peru workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Ottawa instead of Peru?
Ottawa, IL is 15.7 miles from Peru 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 Peru an affordable place to study environmental science?
Peru’s median household income of $68,147 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Peru 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 Peru
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Peru:
- Creative Writing programs in Peru, IL
- Nutrition programs in Peru, IL
- Theology programs in Peru, IL
- Library Science programs in Peru, IL
- Applied Behavior Analysis programs in Peru, IL
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Peru, IL
- Medical Assistant programs in Peru, IL
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Peru, IL
- Health Science programs in Peru, IL
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Peru, IL
- Entrepreneurship programs in Peru, IL
- Interior Design programs in Peru, IL
- Photography programs in Peru, IL
- Sustainability Management programs in Peru, IL
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Peru, IL
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Peru, IL
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Peru, IL
- Journalism programs in Peru, IL
- Public Relations programs in Peru, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Peru, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Peru, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Peru, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Peru, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Peru, IL
- Business Development programs in Peru, IL
- Construction Management programs in Peru, IL
- Economics programs in Peru, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Peru, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Peru, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Peru, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Peru, IL
- International Business programs in Peru, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Peru, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Peru, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Peru, IL
- Operations Management programs in Peru, IL
- Public Administration programs in Peru, IL
- Real Estate programs in Peru, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Peru, IL
- Retail Management programs in Peru, IL
- Risk Management programs in Peru, IL
- Statistics programs in Peru, IL
- Taxation programs in Peru, IL
- Corrections programs in Peru, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Peru, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Peru, IL
- Criminology programs in Peru, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Peru, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Peru, IL
- Fire Science programs in Peru, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Peru, IL
- Legal Services programs in Peru, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Peru, IL
- Paralegal programs in Peru, IL
- Security Management programs in Peru, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Peru, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Peru, IL
- Innovation programs in Peru, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Peru, IL
- Software Development programs in Peru, IL
- User Experience programs in Peru, IL
- Web Development programs in Peru, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Peru, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Peru, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Peru, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Peru, IL
- Public Health programs in Peru, IL
- Human Resources programs in Peru, IL
- Project Management programs in Peru, IL
- Special Education programs in Peru, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Peru, IL
- Marketing programs in Peru, IL
- Finance programs in Peru, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Peru, IL
- Sports Management programs in Peru, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Peru, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Peru, IL
- Biology programs in Peru, IL
- Communications programs in Peru, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Peru, IL
- Human Services programs in Peru, IL
- MBA programs in Peru, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Peru, IL
- Nursing programs in Peru, IL
- Business Administration programs in Peru, IL
- Computer Science programs in Peru, IL
- Psychology programs in Peru, IL
- Education programs in Peru, IL
- Engineering programs in Peru, IL
- Technology programs in Peru, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Peru, IL
- Healthcare programs in Peru, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Peru, IL
- Accounting programs in Peru, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Peru, IL
- Social Work programs in Peru, IL
- Counseling programs in Peru, IL
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)
