8 Best Environmental Science Courses for Beginners
We compared 8 Environmental Science courses currently listed on Coursera and edX, priced from $49.00 to $229.00. 7 come from a named university or institution, including Dartmouth College, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and University of California San Diego. They are ordered by our CourseAsk score, which is built from how thoroughly each course describes what it teaches, whether it comes from a named institution, and how it compares on price — not from star ratings, which our course data does not include.
- Courses compared
- 8
- Price range
- $49.00 – $229.00
- Providers
- Coursera, edX
- Last updated
- 18 Sep 2026
How these 8 courses were chosen
Every course below is a real, currently listed course from Coursera, edX, matched to "environmental science" by our catalog and ordered by our CourseAsk score. Courses whose own title names the topic rank above those only tagged with it.
The grade on each entry scores how much the provider publishes about the course before you pay — the length and detail of the description, whether it lists learning outcomes and objectives — and whether a named university or institution stands behind it. A is fully documented and institution-backed; E is little more than a title and a price. Courses with almost nothing published are left ungraded rather than marked down, because an unknown course and a poor one are not the same thing.
There are no star ratings on this page — the course feeds we license do not include them, and we would rather leave a column out than fill it with a number we cannot stand behind. What we do have is price: these range from $49.00 to $229.00, as listed by the provider when we last updated the page.
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1
Introduction to Environmental Science
Offered by Dartmouth College
To understand current environmental problems, we need to consider physical, biological & chemical processes that are often the basis of those problems. This course will give you the skills necessary to address the enviro...
$49.00listed price -
2
Introduction to Chesapeake Bay Environmental Science and Sustainability
Offered by University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Explore the history, significance, and future of the Chesapeake Bay in this self-paced online course. Learn about key events, stakeholders, environmental challenges, and personal stories that shape the watershed while ex...
$149.00listed price -
3
Introduction to Algae
Offered by University of California San Diego
This course was produced by the Algae Technology Educational Consortium and UC San Diego with funding from the Algae Foundation, the National Renewable Energy Lab, and the U.S. Department of Energy. Algae are an extremel...
$49.00listed price -
4
Introduction to Biology: Ecology, Evolution, & Biodiversity
Offered by Rice University
In this 3-course specialization, you will learn to see nature the way a biologist does. You will gain an understanding and appreciation for the incredible diversity of life and the interdependence of all living things. Y...
$79.00listed price -
5
Wetland Delineation Fundamentals
Offered by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
In this course, learners will get familiarized with the major components of wetland delineation, including the steps involved and the resources available for remote identification. They will explore the field indicators...
$49.00listed price -
6
Sustainability Fundamentals: Concepts, Policy, and Navigating Transitions
Offered by The London School of Economics and Political Science
Explore the complex and often contested nature of sustainability by learning about key concepts, policy frameworks, and the political dynamics that shape transitions toward a more sustainable future for all.
$149.00listed price -
7
Introduction to Biology
Offered by Pearson
This Specialization introduces students to the core principles of biology, from the chemistry of life and cell structure to genetics, evolution, ecology, and biotechnology. Students will learn to apply the scientific met...
$49.00listed price -
8
Introduction to Topobathymetric Lidar Data
Offered by University of Alaska Fairbanks
Understand and apply topobathymetric lidar data to address coastal challenges and support informed decision-making in Alaskan communities.
$229.00listed price
Best Environmental Science Courses for Beginners compared
| # | Course | Provider | Offered by | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Environmental Science | Coursera | Dartmouth College | $49.00 | View → |
| 2 | Introduction to Chesapeake Bay Environmental Science and Sustainabilit... | edX | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science | $149.00 | View → |
| 3 | Introduction to Algae | Coursera | University of California San Diego | $49.00 | View → |
| 4 | Introduction to Biology: Ecology, Evolution, & Biodiversity | Coursera | Rice University | $79.00 | View → |
| 5 | Wetland Delineation Fundamentals | Coursera | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $49.00 | View → |
| 6 | Sustainability Fundamentals: Concepts, Policy, and Navigating Transiti... | edX | The London School of Economics and Political Science | $149.00 | View → |
| 7 | Introduction to Biology | Coursera | Pearson | $49.00 | View → |
| 8 | Introduction to Topobathymetric Lidar Data | edX | University of Alaska Fairbanks | $229.00 | View → |
Prices shown are the provider's listed price when we last updated this page. Confirm on their site before enrolling.
What the prices here tell you
The 8 priced courses on this page run from $49.00 to $229.00, with the middle of the range around $79.00 — a spread of $180.00. That is a wide gap for one subject. A higher price on this page usually reflects who is behind the course rather than how much material it contains, so it is worth opening two or three at different price points and comparing their syllabus before deciding.
Who is behind these courses
These courses come from Coursera and edX. The platforms differ in how they sell: some charge once per course, others expect a subscription, and the listed price is not always what you pay at checkout after a promotion. 7 of these are produced by a named university or institution, including Dartmouth College, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and University of California San Diego — which usually means a fixed syllabus and a recognised certificate, rather than an individual instructor’s own course.
Before you enrol
Open the provider’s own page and check three things this comparison cannot tell you: when the course was last updated, what the syllabus actually covers in its later sections, and what recent learners say. Prices shown here are the provider’s listed price when we last rebuilt this page on 18 September 2026 — they change often, and a promotion can move them substantially. We earn a commission if you enrol through our links, which costs you nothing and never affects the order courses appear in.