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2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

49 Ranked Colleges
6,524 Degrees Awarded
$9,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 30,503 people earned their degree in natural resources and conservation, making the major the 25th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, natural resources and conservation graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,158 and had an average of $23,267 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 6,524 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,501 and $23,211 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 49 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Natural Resources & Conservation Schools

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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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 195 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, Duke has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $-927 for southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Duke University. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Duke University

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 154 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $5,729 for Southeast Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Natural Resources & Conservation Report

3
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 287 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $2,857 for southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UF.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Florida

4
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 155 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,349 for southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Florida State

5
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Carolina State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. NC State is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 333 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

NC State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $9,448 for southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NC State.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full NC State Natural Resources & Conservation Report

6
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

With a ranking of #6, Emory University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 37 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Emory, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emory University is $8,976 for southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Emory University

7

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 142 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $5,632 for Southeast Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad 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 USF Tampa

8
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #8, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 141 students in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also took the #4 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $10,063 for Southeast Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Virginia.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Virginia - Main Campus Natural Resources & Conservation Report

9

The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Pensacola, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,827 for southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of West Florida.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at The University of West Florida

10
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 165 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $10,688 for southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

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

11
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

With a ranking of #11, American Public University System did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. American Public University System is a large school located in Charles Town, West Virginia that handed out 490 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

American Military University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for American Public University System is $10,885 for Southeast Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full American Public University System Natural Resources & Conservation Report

12
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #12, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 401 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $14,003 for Southeast Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Virginia Tech

13
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Boone, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 123 degrees to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, Appalachian State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,940 for southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Appalachian State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Appalachian State

14
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. WVU is a large public school situated in Morgantown, West Virginia. It awarded 168 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WVU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $10,250 for Southeast Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend West Virginia University.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at West Virginia University

15
Haywood Community College crest
Haywood Community College
Clyde, North Carolina

Haywood Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Haywood Community College is located in Clyde, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,602 for southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Haywood Community College.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Haywood Community College

16

Florida International University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida International University is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 41 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $4,882 for Southeast Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, 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.

Full Florida International University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

17
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi

Mississippi State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Mississippi State, Mississippi is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 152 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, Mississippi State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mississippi State is $13,553 for southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full Mississippi State Natural Resources & Conservation Report

18

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tifton, Georgia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,857 for Southeast Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend ABAC Tifton.

Full Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Natural Resources & Conservation Report

19
FGCU crest
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, Florida

With a ranking of #19, Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Florida Gulf Coast University is a fairly large school located in Fort Myers, Florida that handed out 85 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for FGCU is $7,969 for Southeast Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Florida Gulf Coast University

20
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Clemson is a large school located in Clemson, South Carolina that handed out 113 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Clemson also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $16,650 for southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Clemson.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Clemson University

21

University of North Carolina at Asheville landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Asheville, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UNCA is $10,130 for southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UNCA Natural Resources & Conservation Report

22

With a ranking of #22, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 85 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Knoxville, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $13,970 for Southeast Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Knoxville Natural Resources & Conservation Report

23
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in Lexington, Kentucky, and it awarded 51 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UK also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for UK is $13,424 for southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Kentucky

24

University of North Carolina at Wilmington landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Wilmington, North Carolina, and it awarded 120 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNCW has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $14,643 for southeast region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of North Carolina at Wilmington

25

The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Chattanooga is $11,059 for Southeast Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Natural Resources & Conservation Report

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