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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

10 Ranked Colleges
186 Degrees Awarded
$18,800 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 the Plains States region, there were 1,830 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,070 and $31,094 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 186 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,438 and $39,783 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 10 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.

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

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 10 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

#1

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Twin Cities are $28,845, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 7 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, Iowa State has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa State are $25,948, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Iowa State

#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is located in Fargo, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

North Dakota State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at North Dakota State University are $11,589.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at North Dakota State University

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Missouri - Columbia is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

Mizzou also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. Average graduate tuition and fees at Mizzou are $27,193, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Missouri - Columbia

Out of the 10 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #5 spot on the list. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #0 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Minnesota State University - Mankato are $8,788.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Minnesota State University - Mankato

#5 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a large school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 17 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UNL also took the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNL are $19,513, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UNL Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#7

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri
#9 in overall quality

Southeast Missouri State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southeast Missouri State University is a public institution located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Southeast Missouri State University also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Southeast Missouri State University are $10,792.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Southeast Missouri State University

#8

Webster University

Saint Louis, Missouri
#2 in overall quality

Webster University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 50 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Webster not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Webster University are $13,500.

Full Webster Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#9

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#8 in overall quality

Kansas State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Manhattan, Kansas, and it awarded 21 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Kansas State University are $24,115, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Kansas State University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#10

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#6 in overall quality

South Dakota State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. South Dakota State University is a public institution located in Brookings, South Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Dakota State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at South Dakota State are $16,743.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at South Dakota State

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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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