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2025 Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in Illinois

7 Colleges in Illinois
592 Conservation Degrees Awarded
$38,227 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in natural resources conservation, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #49 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 7 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 592 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 Illinois Your choice of natural resources conservation school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Natural Resources Conservation School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that 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

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 Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Natural Resources Conservation in Illinois

The schools below may not offer all types of conservation degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

Top Illinois Schools in Conservation

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
119 Conservation Degrees Awarded
26.9% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you want to pursue a degree in natural resources conservation. UIUC is a very large public university located in the small city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 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 year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the conservation program state that they receive average early career income of $31,369.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 Conservation Degrees Awarded
38.3% Growth in Graduates

Loyola University Chicago is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in natural resources conservation. Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were about 107 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the conservation program state that they receive average early career wages of $30,797.

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

3
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, IL

It's difficult to beat Knox College if you want to pursue a degree in natural resources conservation. Located in the distant town of Galesburg, Knox is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 53rd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 16 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Knox in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the conservation program earn an average of $28,757 for their early career.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Knox College

4
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Conservation Degrees Awarded
21.6% Growth in Graduates

DePaul University is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in natural resources conservation. DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.

There were roughly 37 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year. After graduation, conservation degree recipients generally earn an average of $26,381 in their early careers.

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

5
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$35,669 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Rock Island, Augustana is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 21st out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 9 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Augustana in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the conservation program report average early career wages of $35,669.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Augustana College

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In IL

Located in the town of Carbondale, SIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 36th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 12 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at SIUC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
35 Conservation Degrees Awarded
11.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 20th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 35 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the conservation program state that they receive average early career wages of $36,409.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Northern Illinois University

Best Natural Resources Conservation Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Natural Resources Conservation Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 742
Ohio 314 650
Indiana 294 364
Wisconsin 273 561

View All Rankings >

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

Conservation Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Environmental Science 337
Environmental Studies 251
Natural Resources/Conservation, General 3
Natural Resources Conservation & Research, Other 1

View All Conservation Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Conservation

Related Major Annual Graduates
Natural Resource Management 67
Forestry 47
Wildlife Management 11

View All Conservation Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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