Best Environmental Science Schools Near Lancaster, OH (2026)

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

Lancaster, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs. Lancaster has a population of about 40,902. Median household income is $54,901 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Columbus, OH metro area, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $127,190 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to Lancaster

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental science programs near Lancaster, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lancaster 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 Lancaster. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Capital University

Columbus, OH 23.8 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
45.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,143
Avg net price $22,576/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Denison University

Granville, OH 24.3 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
61.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,753
Avg net price $40,007/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Ohio Dominican University

Columbus, OH 25.7 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,748
Avg net price $20,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Ohio State University-Main Campus

Columbus, OH 28.6 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,409
Avg net price $17,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 233

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Otterbein University

Westerville, OH 32.8 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,313
Avg net price $19,237/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Ohio University-Main Campus

Athens, OH 38.4 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,581
Avg net price $21,637/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 217

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Ohio Wesleyan University

Delaware, OH 46.5 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
53.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,624
Avg net price $20,897/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Rio Grande

Rio Grande, OH 59.5 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,478
Avg net price $23,686/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Environmental Science Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Columbus, OH metro area (BLS area code 18140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$82,350Columbus, OH$86,230
Conservation Scientist$66,110Columbus, OH$69,225
Environmental Engineer$127,190Columbus, OH$133,183
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$75,400Columbus, OH$78,953

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.

Lancaster at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population40,902Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$54,901Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+21.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Lancaster, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Lancaster. The closest is Capital University in Columbus, OH (23.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ohio State University-Main Campus (28.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Lancaster are: Environmental Engineer ($127,190), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($82,350), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($75,400). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Pickerington instead of Lancaster?

Pickerington, OH is 14.3 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study environmental science?

Lancaster’s median household income of $54,901 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Lancaster

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

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 Ohio (2026)