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2024 Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Great Lakes Region

43 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
3,382 Conservation Degrees Awarded
$32,286 Avg Early-Career Salary
Natural Resources Conservation is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #49 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 43 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for natural resources conservation students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 3,382 degrees in natural resources conservation to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Natural Resources Conservation School

Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of natural resources conservation school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for natural resources conservation schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Natural Resources Conservation Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Conservation
Bachelor's Degrees in Conservation
Master's Degrees in Conservation
Doctor's Degrees in Conservation

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Natural Resources Conservation in the Great Lakes Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the conservation degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Conservation

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
345 Conservation Degrees Awarded
10.1% Growth in Graduates

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in natural resources conservation. Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were roughly 345 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Those natural resources conservation students who get their degree from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor receive $7,244 more than the typical conservation graduate.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
437 Conservation Degrees Awarded
$27,422 Median Starting Salary

University of Wisconsin - Madison is a good option for students pursuing a degree in natural resources conservation. UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Madison. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were approximately 437 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the conservation program report average early career wages of $27,422.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from University of Wisconsin - Madison

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
213 Conservation Degrees Awarded
25.8% Growth in Graduates

Ohio State University - Main Campus is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in natural resources conservation. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 213 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the natural resources conservation program at Ohio State University - Main Campus make $2,470 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Ohio State University - Main Campus

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
119 Conservation Degrees Awarded
26.9% Growth in Graduates

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in natural resources conservation. UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 119 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the natural resources conservation degree program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign make $2,787 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Conservation Degrees Awarded
$40,857 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were roughly 94 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year. Natural Resources Conservation degree recipients from Indiana University - Bloomington earn a boost of around $8,571 over the typical earnings of natural resources conservation graduates.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Indiana University - Bloomington

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
82 Conservation Degrees Awarded
7.3% Growth in Graduates

Michigan State is a fairly large public university located in the city of East Lansing. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were about 82 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the conservation program make about $27,553 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Michigan State University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Conservation Degrees Awarded
$38,513 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were roughly 40 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the natural resources conservation degree program at Purdue University - Main Campus get $6,227 above the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Purdue University - Main Campus

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 Conservation Degrees Awarded
38.3% Growth in Graduates

Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 107 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. After graduation, conservation degree recipients typically earn an average of $31,620 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Loyola University Chicago

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
102 Conservation Degrees Awarded
41.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Allendale, GVSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 9th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 102 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at GVSU in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, conservation degree recipients generally earn around $30,036 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Grand Valley State University

10
Denison crest
Denison University
Granville, OH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$27,021 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small suburb of Granville, Denison is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #162 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Denison is a great university overall.

There were roughly 17 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Denison in the most recent data year. After graduation, conservation degree recipients typically earn an average of $27,021 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Denison University

Best Natural Resources Conservation Colleges by State

Explore the best natural resources conservation colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Michigan322742
Ohio314650
Illinois304488
Indiana294364
Wisconsin273561

View All Rankings >

Natural Resources Conservation is one of 5 different types of Natural Resources & Conservation programs to choose from.

Conservation Concentrations

MajorAnnual Graduates
Environmental Studies1,517
Environmental Science1,288
Natural Resources/Conservation, General555
Natural Resources Conservation & Research, Other22

View All Conservation Concentrations >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Natural Resource Management417
Wildlife Management269
Forestry231
Fisheries Sciences152
Natural Resources Conservation (Other)26

View All Conservation Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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