Best Environmental Science Schools Near Roanoke, VA (2026)

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

Roanoke, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $5,022 to $12,565 per year for indexed programs. Roanoke has a population of about 98,677. Median household income is $52,671 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Virginia, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $104,940 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to Roanoke

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

Ferrum College

Ferrum, VA 24.6 miles from Roanoke
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
30.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,296
Avg net price $20,082/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA 25.8 miles from Roanoke
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $81,698
Avg net price $24,953/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 153

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, VA 43.5 miles from Roanoke
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,380
Avg net price $22,235/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Randolph College

Lynchburg, VA 44.6 miles from Roanoke
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,409
Avg net price $15,921/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Sweet Briar College

Sweet Briar, VA 51.8 miles from Roanoke
  • 4 year
42.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,943
Avg net price $17,758/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Longwood University

Farmville, VA 85.8 miles from Roanoke
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,347
Avg net price $19,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, VA 93.2 miles from Roanoke
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,453
Avg net price $17,800/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,090
Out‑of‑state$16,090
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA 95.2 miles from Roanoke
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,863
Avg net price $21,565/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Environmental Science Wages Near Roanoke

Roanoke is part of the Roanoke, VA metro area (BLS area code 40220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$75,330Roanoke, VA$80,481
Conservation Scientist$77,380VA statewide$82,671
Environmental Engineer$104,940VA statewide$112,115
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$72,340VA statewide$77,286

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.

Roanoke at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population98,677Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$52,671Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+28.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Roanoke-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Roanoke, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Roanoke. The closest is Ferrum College in Ferrum, VA (24.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Randolph College (44.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Roanoke are: Environmental Engineer ($104,940), Conservation Scientist ($77,380), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($75,330). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Salem instead of Roanoke?

Salem, VA is 5.4 miles from Roanoke 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 Roanoke an affordable place to study environmental science?

Roanoke’s median household income of $52,671 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Roanoke while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Roanoke

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

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 Virginia (2026)