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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $0-$30k) in California

28 Ranked Colleges
3,248 Degrees Awarded
$10,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

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 a Bachelor’s in California 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 California, there were 4,073 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,215 and $22,557 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,248 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 28 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in natural resources and conservation. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality natural resources and conservation programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the natural resources and conservation program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The natural resources & conservation 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 “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 514 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,392 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 California - Berkeley Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 75 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #2 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,553 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of California - Los Angeles

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #3 spot on the list. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 44 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of California - Irvine

#11 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Riverside landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 47 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also took the #11 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Riverside Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#18 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Bakersfield. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

CSUB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $3,423 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUB.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#6

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#13 in overall quality

San Diego State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 98 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #13 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SDSU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at SDSU

#7

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 358 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSB has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of California - Santa Barbara

#7 in overall quality

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 371 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Davis.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Davis Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 California State University - Long Beach Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#9 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 66 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,280 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSD.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 94%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at UCSD

#11

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#25 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUSB has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at CSUSB

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 56 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at California State University - Sacramento

#13

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#8 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 61 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at San Jose State University

#14

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#16 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 246 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $10,872 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UC Santa Cruz

#15

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Occidental College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Occidental College is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 15 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Oxy also took the #4 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Occidental College is $13,146 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Occidental College Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 121 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,475 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#23 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Seaside, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 72 students in 2019-2020.

CSUMB also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Monterey Bay is $7,688 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Monterey Bay Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#22 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay also took the #22 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $8,036 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at California State University - East Bay

#19

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of Southern California came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 55 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $14,668 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Southern California

#20

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at SFSU

#21

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sonoma State University is located in Rohnert Park, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

SSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,263 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sonoma State University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 about Natural Resources & Conservation at Sonoma State University

#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also took the #24 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $10,260 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at California State University - Chico

#23

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 326 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $11,263 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Humboldt State University

#24

University of Redlands

Redlands, California
#17 in overall quality

University of Redlands ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Redlands is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Redlands, California. It awarded 49 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Redlands not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Redlands is $21,763 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Redlands

#25

University of San Diego

San Diego, California
#14 in overall quality

University of San Diego ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, USD has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USD is $22,263 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Natural Resources & Conservation at University of San Diego

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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).
  • 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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