2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s
19
Ranked Colleges
565
Degrees Awarded
$31,900
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 1,630 people earned their degree in environmental/natural resources management and policy, making the major the 348th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in environmental/natural resources management and policy. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality environmental/natural resources management and policy programs as well as strong veteran support.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the environmental/natural resources management and policy program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The natural resources management and policy school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree vets studying natural resources management and policy.
Top 19 Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Tech landed the #1 spot on the list. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 72 masters’s natural resources management and policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech also made our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1.According to our most recent data, Virginia Tech supports 37,024 students, and 119 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 108 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,314. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Virginia Tech]](/colleges/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Denver. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s. DU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Denver, Colorado. It awarded 137 masters’s natural resources management and policy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our master’s degree vets studying natural resources management and policy list, DU has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 13,856 students enrolled at University of Denver, 571 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 373 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,359. During this same period, 155 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Denver does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at DU]](/colleges/university-of-denver/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s list. Colorado State is a public institution located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 22 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Colorado State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, Colorado State University - Fort Collins supports 32,428 students, and 1,606 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,183 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,701. On top of their other funding sources, 68 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Colorado State University - Fort Collins offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Colorado State University - Fort Collins Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Carolina State University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 10 masters’s natural resources management and policy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our master’s degree vets studying natural resources management and policy list, NC State has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, NC State supports 36,042 students, and 1,102 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 493 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,886. On top of their other funding sources, 27 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Hawaii at Manoa. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s list. Honolulu, Hawaii is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s natural resources management and policy degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH Manoa, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, UH Manoa supports 18,025 students, and 3 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $22,153. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UH Manoa does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Hawaii at Manoa]](/colleges/university-of-hawaii-at-manoa/student-life/veterans/)
Oregon State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Corvallis, Oregon, and it awarded 30 masters’s natural resources management and policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oregon State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, Oregon State supports 32,312 students, and 1,559 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,000 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,385. During this same period, 17 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Oregon State offers credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s ranking. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified masters’s natural resources management and policy students in 2020-2021.
North Dakota State University also made our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #9.Of the 12,846 students enrolled at North Dakota State University, 4 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at North Dakota State University]](/colleges/north-dakota-state-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #8. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s natural resources management and policy degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Stevens Point also made our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13.Our most recent data shows that 343 of the 8,302 students enrolled at UW - Stevens Point were GI Bill® students, of which 129 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,195. During this same period, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UW - Stevens Point]](/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-stevens-point/student-life/veterans/)
Portland State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s ranking. Located in Portland, Oregon, this large public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified masters’s natural resources management and policy students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our master’s degree vets studying natural resources management and policy list, Portland State University has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 23,640 students enrolled at Portland State University, 1,127 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 739 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,835. On top of their other funding sources, 100 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
American Public University System landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in Charles Town, West Virginia, and it awarded 111 masters’s natural resources management and policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at American Military University, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, American Public University System supports 50,047 students, and 18,040 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 15,422 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,793. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.
Read More…
University of Idaho ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s list. U of I is a fairly large public school situated in Moscow, Idaho. It awarded 25 masters’s natural resources management and policy degrees in 2020-2021.
U of I did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 382 of the 10,791 students enrolled at University of Idaho were GI Bill® students, of which 248 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,784. On top of their other funding sources, 29 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Idaho offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full University of Idaho Veteran Student Life Report
University of Rhode Island came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s ranking. University of Rhode Island is a fairly large school located in Kingston, Rhode Island that handed out 20 masters’s natural resources management and policy degrees in 2020-2021.
URI also took the #11 spot in our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, URI supports 17,649 students, and 381 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 187 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,022. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. URI does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full University of Rhode Island Veteran Student Life Report
Duke University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #13. Duke University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 14 masters’s natural resources management and policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list.Of the 16,172 students enrolled at Duke, 36 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,387. To help with additional expenses, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read More…
Michigan State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s ranking. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 12 masters’s natural resources management and policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also made our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5.Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 49,695 students enrolled at Michigan State were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,686. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Michigan State University]](/colleges/michigan-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #15, University of Connecticut did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s list. UCONN is located in Storrs, Connecticut and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 masters’s natural resources management and policy degrees to qualified students.
UCONN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list.Among the 27,215 students enrolled at University of Connecticut, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read More…
Florida International University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s ranking. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 13 masters’s natural resources management and policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at FIU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, Florida International University supports 58,836 students, and 1,079 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 606 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,771. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full FIU Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #17, Northern Arizona University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s list. Flagstaff, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s natural resources management and policy degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
NAU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list.Among the 29,566 students enrolled at Northern Arizona University, 1,055 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 622 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,378. During this same period, 56 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full NAU Veteran Student Life Report
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #18. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 7 masters’s natural resources management and policy degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #16 spot in our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 19,161 students enrolled at UC Santa Cruz, 273 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 114 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,631. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of California - Santa Cruz]](/colleges/university-of-california-santa-cruz/student-life/veterans/)
Antioch University - New England did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Natural Resources Management and Policy for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Keene, New Hampshire, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified masters’s natural resources management and policy students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Antioch University - New England, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 24 of the 895 students enrolled at Antioch University - New England were GI Bill® students, of which 13 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,358. On top of their other funding sources, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read More…
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
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