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2025 Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

24 Colleges in California
2,620 Bachelor's Degrees
$36,466 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #33 in popularity, natural resources conservation is one of the most sought-after bachelor's degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 24 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 2,620 bachelor's degrees in natural resources conservation to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Natural Resources Conservation School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor's Degree Schools in California Your choice of natural resources conservation for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality conservation program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for natural resources conservation students working on their bachelor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Conservation Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Bachelor's Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Natural Resources Conservation in California

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for natural resources conservation students seeking a a bachelor's degree.

10 Top California Schools for a Bachelor's in Conservation

1
464 Annual Graduates
$47,338 Median Starting Salary
$27,918 Median Student Debt

It's difficult to beat University of California - Berkeley if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in natural resources conservation. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Natural Resources Conservation bachelor's degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley earn a boost of around $10,872 above the average income of natural resources conservation graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in natural resources conservation from University of California - Berkeley

2
241 Annual Graduates
$38,954 Median Starting Salary
$26,101 Median Student Debt

University of California - Davis is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in natural resources conservation. UC Davis is a very large public university located in the suburb of Davis.

Natural Resources Conservation bachelor's degree recipients from University of California - Davis earn a boost of about $2,488 above the average earnings of natural resources conservation graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in natural resources conservation from University of California - Davis

3
108 Annual Graduates
$31,944 Median Starting Salary
$39,463 Median Student Debt

It is hard to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in natural resources conservation. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the conservation program report average early career income of $31,944.

More information about a bachelor’s in natural resources conservation from University of California - Los Angeles

4
338 Annual Graduates
$33,759 Median Starting Salary
$32,297 Median Student Debt

It is difficult to beat University of California - Santa Barbara if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in natural resources conservation. UCSB is a very large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the conservation program report average early career wages of $33,759.

More information about a bachelor’s in natural resources conservation from University of California - Santa Barbara

5
167 Annual Graduates
$29,152 Median Starting Salary
$30,033 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the conservation program report average early career wages of $29,152.

More information about a bachelor’s in natural resources conservation from University of California - Santa Cruz

6
47 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in natural resources conservation from University of Southern California

7
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA

SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Santa Clara.

Bachelor's recipients from the natural resources conservation major at Santa Clara University make $6,110 more than the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in natural resources conservation from Santa Clara University

8

Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Soon after graduation, conservation bachelor's recipients usually make around $36,304 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in natural resources conservation from University of California - Irvine

9

Located in the remote town of Arcata, Humboldt State University is a public university with a medium-sized student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the conservation program earn an average of $29,917 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in natural resources conservation from Humboldt State University

10

Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the conservation program make about $34,090 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a bachelor’s in natural resources conservation from San Diego State University

Best Natural Resources Conservation Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 226 608
Oregon 185 410
Nevada 129 43
Hawaii 112 60
Alaska 75 30

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One of 5 majors within the Natural Resources & Conservation area of study, Natural Resources Conservation has other similar majors worth exploring.

Conservation Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Environmental Studies 1,340
Environmental Science 1,070
Natural Resources/Conservation, General 170
Natural Resources Conservation & Research, Other 40

Related Major Annual Graduates
Wildlife Management 175
Natural Resource Management 139
Forestry 112
Fisheries Sciences 14

Notes and References

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