Best Environmental Science Schools Near Scranton, PA (2026)

Scranton, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $43,496 to $56,765 per year for indexed programs. Scranton has a population of about 76,074. Median household income is $49,531 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $85,420 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Environmental Science Schools to Scranton

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

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

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#1

University of Scranton

Scranton, PA 0.4 miles from Scranton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,652
Avg net price $32,568/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Marywood University

Scranton, PA 2.6 miles from Scranton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,817
Avg net price $23,388/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Environmental Science Wages Near Scranton

Scranton is part of the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area (BLS area code 42540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$78,690Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$84,071
Conservation Scientist$54,250Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$57,959
Environmental Engineer$85,420Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$91,261
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$78,540PA statewide$83,910

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.


Scranton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population76,074Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$49,531Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Scranton-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Scranton, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Scranton. The closest is University of Scranton in Scranton, PA (0.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Wilkes University (16.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Scranton are: Environmental Engineer ($85,420), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($78,690), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($78,540). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Wilkes-Barre instead of Scranton?

Wilkes-Barre, PA is 15.4 miles from Scranton 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 Scranton an affordable place to study environmental science?

Scranton’s median household income of $49,531 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Scranton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Scranton

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.