Environmental Science Degree in Racine, WI — Salary & ROI 2026
Environmental Science degree analysis for Racine, WI. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$43K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$62K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
7.2 yrs
in Racine
Cost of Living
85.8
index (100 = avg)
Environmental Science in Racine, WI Overview
While Racine has a smaller college scene with 4 institutions, Environmental Science students benefit from lower tuition costs. Room and board averages $12,562/year, and the car-friendly layout shapes the student experience. Environmental Science has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for GIS and Environmental Monitoring skills. The adjusted starting salary in Racine is approximately $42,900.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
4
Public Tuition
$10,600/yr
Private Tuition
$34,000/yr
Room & Board
$12,562/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$8,051/yr
Unemployment
2.1%
Graduation Rate
72%
Environmental Science Salary in Racine (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Racine's cost of living index of 85.8 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Environmental Science salary: $50,000 starting, $72,000 mid-career, $90,000 senior level.Racine adjustment factor: 0.86x based on the local cost of living index.
Environmental Science ROI Calculator for Racine
Estimate your return on investment for a Environmental Science degree using local Racine tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,600 | Private avg: $34,000
Racine avg aid: $8,051/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$92,648
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$12,870
vs HS diploma in Racine
ROI Payback Period
7.2 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Racine
$207,652
Lifetime earnings premium ($300,300) minus total education cost ($92,648)
Student Loan Payoff for Environmental Science in Racine
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Racine for Environmental Science
Racine State University
public
$11,121/yr
$44,484 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Racine Community College
$5,143/yr
Top Employers for Environmental Science in Racine
Racine offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Environmental Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Racine Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Environmental Science Job Titles
Environmental Science in Nearby Wisconsin Cities
Milwaukee, WI
$47K starting · COL 94
33 colleges
Madison, WI
$45K starting · COL 89
11 colleges
Green Bay, WI
$43K starting · COL 86
6 colleges
Kenosha, WI
$53K starting · COL 106
8 colleges
Appleton, WI
$40K starting · COL 79
6 colleges
Waukesha, WI
$45K starting · COL 90.5
3 colleges
Eau Claire, WI
$43K starting · COL 86
2 colleges
Oshkosh, WI
$54K starting · COL 107
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Racine
Prompt Engineering
$43K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$82K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$73K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$76K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$70K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$43K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$69K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$43K starting · 3 yr ROI
Environmental Science Degree in Racine — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Environmental Science ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Racine.