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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

12 Ranked Colleges
493 Degrees Awarded
$16,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Natural Resources & Conservation is the 26th most popular major in the country with 30,341 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Illinois, there were 631 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,920 and $23,093 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 493 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer a degree in natural resources and conservation. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent natural resources and conservation programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the natural resources and conservation program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Natural Resources & Conservation Schools

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 Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 12 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $2,800 for illinois bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Chicago.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Chicago

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 67 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for illinois bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $8,323 for illinois bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIS.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Illinois at Springfield

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $15,861 for illinois bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at NIU

#5

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Knox College landed the #5 spot on the list. Knox is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 16 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Knox is $19,186 for illinois bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Knox College

#9 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 63 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #9 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $14,306 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at SIUC

#7

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Augustana is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 29 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, Augustana has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $16,249 for illinois bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Augustana College

#12 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

Northeastern Illinois University also took the #12 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,513 for illinois bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Northeastern Illinois University

#9

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Lake Forest College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lake Forest is located in Lake Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lake Forest, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $19,152 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Lake Forest Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#10

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomington, Illinois. It awarded 8 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, Illinois Wesleyan has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,857 for illinois bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan University.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Illinois Wesleyan Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#11

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 95 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola University Chicago is $29,788 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Loyola University Chicago

#12

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

DePaul University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, DePaul has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul is $25,842 for illinois bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 DePaul University

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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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