Best Environmental Science Schools Near Utica, NY (2026)

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

Utica, New York has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $8,831 to $28,821 per year for indexed programs. Utica has a population of about 64,440. Median household income is $51,513 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Utica-Rome, NY metro area, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $91,370 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to Utica

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

Colgate University

Hamilton, NY 24.7 miles from Utica
  • 4 year
69.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $85,139
Avg net price $28,786/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, NY 44.1 miles from Utica
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
69.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 70%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,386
Avg net price $19,158/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,831
Out‑of‑state$19,781
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Syracuse, NY 46.3 miles from Utica
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
72.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 63%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,763
Avg net price $18,952/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,303
Out‑of‑state$22,263
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Union College

Schenectady, NY 68.4 miles from Utica
  • 4 year
66.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $88,604
Avg net price $34,561/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs, NY 72.7 miles from Utica
  • 4 year
63.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,363
Avg net price $32,297/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University at Albany

Albany, NY 76.4 miles from Utica
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 69%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,979
Avg net price $17,167/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,866
Out‑of‑state$31,256
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY 77.9 miles from Utica
  • 4 year
73.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $104,043
Avg net price $28,690/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 132

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Siena College

Loudonville, NY 79.0 miles from Utica
  • 4 year
60.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,079
Avg net price $33,733/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 62

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 Utica

Utica is part of the Utica-Rome, NY metro area (BLS area code 46540). 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$78,170Utica-Rome, NY$84,326
Conservation Scientist$76,990NY statewide$83,053
Environmental Engineer$91,370Utica-Rome, NY$98,565
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$82,640NY statewide$89,148

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.

Utica at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population64,440Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$51,513Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+21.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Utica-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Utica, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Utica. The closest is Colgate University in Hamilton, NY (24.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Union College (68.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Utica are: Environmental Engineer ($91,370), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($82,640), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($78,170). 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 Ilion instead of Utica?

Ilion, NY is 11.1 miles from Utica 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 Utica an affordable place to study environmental science?

Utica’s median household income of $51,513 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Utica 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 Utica

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

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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