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2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k

20 Ranked Colleges
1,205 Degrees Awarded
$13,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 Rocky Mountains region, there were 2,082 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,144 and $25,086 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,205 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,111 and $23,874 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 20 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Natural Resources & Conservation Schools

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 a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $30-$48k) in the Rocky Mountains Region

#1

Colorado College

Colorado Springs, Colorado
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colorado College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This small school is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, Colorado College has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado College is $8,812 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Colorado College

#2

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wyoming. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW is located in Laramie, Wyoming and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

UW not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $9,200 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wyoming.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UW

#19 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k. BYU - I is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rexburg, Idaho. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU - I also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $3,595 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Brigham Young University - Idaho

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Utah State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. USU is a large school located in Logan, Utah that handed out 81 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

USU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Utah State University is $12,034 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full USU Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#5

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Utah. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. U of U is a large school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 102 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

U of U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $13,192 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend U of U.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Utah

#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Colorado Boulder did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Colorado Boulder is a public institution located in Boulder, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 185 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CU - Boulder, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $14,361 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Colorado Boulder.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%. 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 CU - Boulder

#8 in overall quality

Colorado State University - Fort Collins ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Colorado State is a public institution located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colorado State is $11,890 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Colorado State University - Fort Collins Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#14 in overall quality

The University of Montana - Western landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Dillon, Montana, this small public school handed out 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Montana Western, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Montana - Western is $11,133 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at The University of Montana - Western

#9

University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho
#13 in overall quality

University of Idaho came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Moscow, Idaho, and it awarded 133 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

U of I did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend U of I is $11,735 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Idaho

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Metropolitan State University of Denver did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. MSU Denver is a public institution located in Denver, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU Denver did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend MSU Denver is $12,219 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Metropolitan State University of Denver Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#11

Western Colorado University

Gunnison, Colorado
#10 in overall quality

Western Colorado University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Gunnison, Colorado, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Western not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Western is $14,744 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Western Colorado University

#12

Fort Lewis College

Durango, Colorado
#16 in overall quality

Fort Lewis College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fort Lewis College is a small public school situated in Durango, Colorado. It awarded 35 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

FLC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $12,909 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FLC.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Fort Lewis College

#13

Boise State University

Boise, Idaho
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Boise State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Boise State University is a public institution located in Boise, Idaho. The school has a large population, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Boise State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Boise State is $13,146 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Boise State University

#14

Montana State University

Bozeman, Montana
#6 in overall quality

Montana State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Bozeman, Montana, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU Bozeman also took the #6 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MSU Bozeman is $16,625 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at MSU Bozeman

#15

The University of Montana

Missoula, Montana
#17 in overall quality

The University of Montana ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Missoula, Montana, this medium-sized public school handed out 126 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

UM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $14,314 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UM.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at UM

#16

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, Colorado
#18 in overall quality

Colorado Mesa University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Grand Junction, Colorado is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

Colorado Mesa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $13,624 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Colorado Mesa University.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Colorado Mesa University

#17

The College of Idaho

Caldwell, Idaho
#9 in overall quality

The College of Idaho did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. The College of Idaho is a small school located in Caldwell, Idaho that handed out 7 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at The College of Idaho, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $20,715 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The College of Idaho.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The College of Idaho Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#18

University of Denver

Denver, Colorado
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Denver did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

DU also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $20,735 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend DU.

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 DU Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#19

Westminster College Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#12 in overall quality

Westminster College Utah did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, Westminster College Salt Lake has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Westminster College Salt Lake is $17,747 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Westminster College Utah Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#20

Naropa University

Boulder, Colorado
#20 in overall quality

Naropa University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Naropa University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boulder, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Naropa, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $21,805 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Naropa University.

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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Naropa Natural Resources & Conservation Report

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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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