2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 30,341 people earned their degree in natural resources and conservation, making the major the 26th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, natural resources and conservation graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,196 and had an average of $25,077 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 4,152 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,081 and $25,321 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 277 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,508 and $17,812 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 4 colleges that offer a degree in natural resources and conservation. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great natural resources and conservation programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the natural resources and conservation program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 4 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

#2 in overall quality

$7,067 Average Net Price

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lake Superior State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Sault Ste Marie, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Lake Superior State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Lake Superior State University is $7,067 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Lake Superior State University

#2

Fox Valley Technical College

Appleton, Wisconsin

#1 in overall quality

$8,385 Average Net Price

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Fox Valley Technical College landed the #2 spot on the list. FVTC is located in Appleton, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 associates’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FVTC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend FVTC is $8,385 for great lakes region associate degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at FVTC

#3

Vincennes University

Vincennes, Indiana

#3 in overall quality

$8,729 Average Net Price

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vincennes University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Vincennes University is a fairly large public school situated in Vincennes, Indiana. It awarded 31 associates’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vincennes University, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vincennes University is $8,729 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Vincennes University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#4

Hocking College

Nelsonville, Ohio

#4 in overall quality

$11,089 Average Net Price

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hocking College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Hocking College is a small school located in Nelsonville, Ohio that handed out 129 associates’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region associate degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, Hocking Technical College has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,089 for great lakes region associate degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hocking Technical College.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Hocking College

• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $0-$30k)

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).
• 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

Footnotes

• *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
• 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

• Credit for the banner image above goes to Lynn Betts.

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