Rock Island, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $57,903 to $68,134 per year for indexed programs. Rock Island has a population of about 36,758. Median household income is $57,292 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.4% 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 Rock Island
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental science programs near Rock Island, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Rock Island 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 Rock Island.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
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
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,110
Avg net price
$17,133/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 33
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,163
Avg net price
$12,937/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 60%
- Programs offered: 83
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
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
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
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
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$57,103
Avg net price
$9,833/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 78%
- Programs offered: 48
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois environmental science page.
Environmental Science Wages Near Rock Island
Rock Island is part of the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro area (BLS area code 19340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Environmental Scientist and Specialist | $87,270 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $97,946 |
| Conservation Scientist | $69,590 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $78,103 |
| Environmental Engineer | $107,990 | IL statewide | $121,201 |
| Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist | $79,780 | IL statewide | $89,540 |
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.
Rock Island at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 36,758 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $57,292 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 22.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 89.1 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Rock Island-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs
- Moline, IL – 4.8 mi away (42,250 pop)
- Davenport, IA – 6.0 mi away (288,233 pop)
- Bettendorf, IA – 8.6 mi away (35,727 pop)
- East Moline, IL – 10.7 mi away (21,135 pop)
- Muscatine, IA – 25.4 mi away (26,481 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited environmental science schools are near Rock Island, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Rock Island. The closest is Knox College in Galesburg, IL (38.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Kirkwood Community College (63.0 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying environmental science roles near Rock Island?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Rock Island are: Environmental Engineer ($107,990), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($87,270), 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 Moline instead of Rock Island?
Moline, IL is 4.8 miles from Rock Island 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 Rock Island an affordable place to study environmental science?
Rock Island’s median household income of $57,292 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rock Island 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 Rock Island
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- Education programs in Rock Island, IL
- Engineering programs in Rock Island, IL
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- Healthcare Administration programs in Rock Island, IL
- Social Work programs in Rock Island, IL
- Counseling programs in Rock Island, 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.
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