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2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k

20 Ranked Colleges
1,205 Degrees Awarded
$30,230 Avg Salary
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Natural Resources & Conservation is the 26th most popular major in the country with 30,341 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, natural resources and conservation graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,196 and had an average of $25,077 in loans still to pay off.

Across 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 $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 20 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $48-$75k) 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 $48-$75k. Colorado Springs, Colorado is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

Colorado College also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $15,884 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Colorado College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%. 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.

Read full report on 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 $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Laramie, Wyoming, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wyoming is $11,491 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full University of Wyoming Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#19 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Rexburg, Idaho, and it awarded 28 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 $48-$75k list, BYU - I has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Idaho is $6,287 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Brigham Young University - Idaho

#4

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 #4 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, this large public school awarded 102 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

U of U also took the #3 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U of U is $14,501 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Utah Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Utah State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Utah State University is a public institution located in Logan, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USU is $13,297 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#2 in overall quality

University of Colorado Boulder came in at #6 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 $48-$75k ranking. University of Colorado Boulder is a large public school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 185 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

CU - Boulder also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of Colorado Boulder is $18,979 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree 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 85%. 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%.

Full CU - Boulder Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#14 in overall quality

The University of Montana - Western did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. Dillon, Montana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

Montana Western did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Montana Western is $14,264 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Montana Western

#8 in overall quality

Colorado State University - Fort Collins came in at #8 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 $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, this large public school awarded 70 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

Colorado State also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado State is $15,927 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#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 $48-$75k ranking. Located in Moscow, Idaho, this fairly large public school awarded 133 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

U of I not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Idaho is $13,528 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Idaho

#11 in overall quality

Metropolitan State University of Denver came in at #10 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 $48-$75k ranking. Located in Denver, Colorado, this fairly large public school handed out 47 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k list, MSU Denver has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MSU Denver is $13,849 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full MSU Denver Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#11

Western Colorado University

Gunnison, Colorado
#10 in overall quality

Western Colorado University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Western is a small school located in Gunnison, Colorado that handed out 38 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Western also took the #10 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western is $15,866 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Western

#12

Boise State University

Boise, Idaho
#15 in overall quality

Boise State University 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 $48-$75k ranking. Boise State University is a large school located in Boise, Idaho that handed out 63 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boise State, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $16,073 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Boise State University.

Full Boise State University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#13

The University of Montana

Missoula, Montana
#17 in overall quality

The University of Montana came in at #13 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 $48-$75k ranking. UM is located in Missoula, Montana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 126 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

UM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $17,049 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UM.

Full The University of Montana Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#14

Montana State University

Bozeman, Montana
#6 in overall quality

Montana State University came in at #14 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 $48-$75k ranking. MSU Bozeman is a fairly large public school situated in Bozeman, Montana. It awarded 48 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU Bozeman, the school also landed 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 $19,616 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Montana State University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#15

Fort Lewis College

Durango, Colorado
#16 in overall quality

Fort Lewis College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Fort Lewis College is a small school located in Durango, Colorado that handed out 35 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FLC, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $15,040 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Fort Lewis College.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Fort Lewis College

#16

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, Colorado
#18 in overall quality

Colorado Mesa 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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. This medium-sized school is located in Grand Junction, Colorado, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado Mesa also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $15,136 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Colorado Mesa.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Colorado Mesa

#17

The College of Idaho

Caldwell, Idaho
#9 in overall quality

The College of Idaho landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Caldwell, Idaho, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The College of Idaho also took the #9 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $18,898 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The College of Idaho.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at The College of Idaho

#18

Westminster College Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#12 in overall quality

Westminster College Utah came in at #18 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 $48-$75k ranking. Westminster College Salt Lake is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 5 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Westminster College Salt Lake also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Westminster College Salt Lake is $18,362 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. 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 full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Westminster College Salt Lake

#19

University of Denver

Denver, Colorado
#7 in overall quality

University of Denver came in at #19 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 $48-$75k ranking. Located in Denver, Colorado, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k list, DU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DU is $27,530 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at DU

#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 $48-$75k ranking. Naropa is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k list, Naropa has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Naropa University is $28,336 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 Naropa

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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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