South Bend, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $31,200 to $48,449 per year for indexed programs. South Bend has a population of about 102,866. Median household income is $52,512 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Indiana, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $92,460 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Environmental Science Schools to South Bend
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental science programs near South Bend, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from South Bend 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 South Bend.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$99,980
Avg net price
$26,780/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 99%
- Programs offered: 89
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
84%
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,943
Avg net price
$14,493/yr
TuitionIn‑state$38,890
Out‑of‑state$38,890
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 38
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
82%
Graduation rate
69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,411
Avg net price
$19,932/yr
TuitionIn‑state$31,200
Out‑of‑state$31,200
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 61
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,191
Avg net price
$18,578/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 81
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,362
Avg net price
$18,196/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 46
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,986
Avg net price
$22,866/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 74
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$72,424
Avg net price
$14,600/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 92%
- Programs offered: 198
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,198
Avg net price
$24,865/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 90%
- Programs offered: 63
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Indiana schools on the Indiana environmental science page.
Environmental Science Wages Near South Bend
South Bend is part of the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI metro area (BLS area code 43780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Environmental Scientist and Specialist | $58,570 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $63,046 |
| Conservation Scientist | $64,570 | IN statewide | $69,505 |
| Environmental Engineer | $92,460 | IN statewide | $99,526 |
| Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist | $54,670 | IN statewide | $58,848 |
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.
South Bend at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 102,866 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $52,512 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 29.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 92.9 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other South Bend-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs
- Mishawaka, IN – 5.3 mi away (51,020 pop)
- Elkhart, IN – 15.9 mi away (147,181 pop)
- LaPorte, IN – 23.5 mi away (21,732 pop)
- La Porte, IN – 23.5 mi away (22,444 pop)
- Goshen, IN – 23.8 mi away (34,458 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited environmental science schools are near South Bend, IN?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near South Bend. The closest is University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, IN (2.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne (69.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying environmental science roles near South Bend?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near South Bend are: Environmental Engineer ($92,460), Conservation Scientist ($64,570), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($58,570). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Mishawaka instead of South Bend?
Mishawaka, IN is 5.3 miles from South Bend 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 South Bend an affordable place to study environmental science?
South Bend’s median household income of $52,512 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South Bend while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Indiana 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
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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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