Best Environmental Science Schools Near Niagara Falls, NY

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

Niagara Falls, New York has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $8,752 to $26,046 per year for indexed programs. Niagara Falls has a population of about 48,198. Median household income is $48,535 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $95,740 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to Niagara Falls

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

Niagara University

Niagara University, NY 3.3 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,196
Avg net price $17,248/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Canisius University

Buffalo, NY 14.1 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,681
Avg net price $17,940/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

SUNY at Fredonia

Fredonia, NY 47.1 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,247
Avg net price $15,897/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,831
Out‑of‑state$19,771
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

SUNY Brockport

Brockport, NY 54.4 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
62.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,496
Avg net price $16,353/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,752
Out‑of‑state$15,822
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Houghton University

Houghton, NY 63.4 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,721
Avg net price $20,519/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY 67.7 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,571
Avg net price $34,906/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 128

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Rochester

Rochester, NY 69.8 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,042
Avg net price $29,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 149

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Nazareth University

Rochester, NY 75.5 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,458
Avg net price $29,357/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Environmental Science Wages Near Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is part of the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area (BLS area code 15380). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$76,700Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$80,063
Conservation Scientist$76,990NY statewide$80,365
Environmental Engineer$95,740Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$99,937
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$82,640NY statewide$86,263

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.

Niagara Falls at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population48,198Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,535Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Niagara Falls-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Niagara Falls, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Niagara Falls. The closest is Niagara University in Niagara University, NY (3.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is SUNY Brockport (54.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying environmental science roles near Niagara Falls?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Niagara Falls are: Environmental Engineer ($95,740), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($82,640), Conservation Scientist ($76,990). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in North Tonawanda instead of Niagara Falls?

North Tonawanda, NY is 8.2 miles from Niagara Falls 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 Niagara Falls an affordable place to study environmental science?

Niagara Falls’s median household income of $48,535 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Niagara Falls while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Niagara Falls

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

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 New York (2026)