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2023 Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $48-$75k)

266 Ranked Colleges
30,503 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 266 colleges that offered 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.

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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 Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $48-$75k)

1
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Yale University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 150 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Yale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Yale is $2,815 for Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Yale Natural Resources & Conservation Report

2
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 195 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,160 for Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Duke.

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. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Duke University

3
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Harvard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 258 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harvard is $2,669 for Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Harvard University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 83 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $8,106 for natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Columbia

5
Colby crest
Colby College
Waterville, Maine

Out of the 266 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Colby College landed the #5 spot on the list. Waterville, Maine is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

Colby did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. It costs about $5,536 for natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Colby.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Colby

6

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 312 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k list, U-M has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,481 for Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at U-M

7

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 245 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,393 for natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Natural Resources & Conservation Report

8

University of California - Berkeley ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 616 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $13,423 for Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

9
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

With a ranking of #9, Brown University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 32 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $10,219 for natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Brown

10
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

With a ranking of #10, Dartmouth College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dartmouth College is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Hanover, New Hampshire. It awarded 40 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Dartmouth also took the #24 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,172 for natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Dartmouth College.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Dartmouth

11

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 154 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $11,619 for Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Natural Resources & Conservation Report

12
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 119 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $9,785 for Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad 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 Cornell

13
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Charles Town, West Virginia, and it awarded 490 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, American Military University is in the top on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend American Military University is $13,536 for natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at American Public University System

14
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 287 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UF is in the top on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $8,394 for Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 University of Florida

15
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 155 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State excels when it comes to natural resources and conservation quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. It costs about $11,506 for natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

16

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 237 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $12,911 for Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

17

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 491 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $10,364 for Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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 95%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Wisconsin - Madison

18

University of California - Davis landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 370 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also took the #15 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,193 for natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UC Davis

19

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 101 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $12,644 for Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 96%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of California - Los Angeles

20
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #20, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. North Carolina State University is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 333 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k list, NC State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,424 for Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend North Carolina State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at NC State

21
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 107 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, IU Bloomington is in the top on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $12,369 for Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Indiana University - Bloomington

22
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 124 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $8,450 for natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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 Purdue Natural Resources & Conservation Report

23
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Virginia is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 141 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $16,019 for natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Virginia - Main Campus

24
Maritime crest
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #24, Massachusetts Maritime Academy did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, and it awarded 38 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Massachusetts Maritime Academy is $12,099 for Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Maritime Natural Resources & Conservation Report

25
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 51 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Tufts is also in the top of our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts University is $19,827 for natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Tufts University

Rest of the Best 40 in Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 40 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
29
30
31
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York
32
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
33
34
35
36
37
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
38
39
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
40
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

Notes and References

References

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