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2022 Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois

12 Ranked Colleges
631 Degrees Awarded
$24,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Illinois, there were 631 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,920 and $23,093 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 12 colleges that offered 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the natural resources and conservation program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 12 Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 61 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $17,929 for Illinois Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 0.6%, 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 100%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UChicago

#2

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 34 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,425 for illinois natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend NIU.

Full NIU Natural Resources & Conservation Report

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #3 spot on the list. UIS is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also took the #10 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,342 for illinois natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Natural Resources & Conservation Report

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 100 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,998 for Illinois Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 77 degrees to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k list, SIUC has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $20,698 for Illinois Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#6

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Augustana College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $23,730 for illinois natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, 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 85%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Augustana College

#7

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Knox is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 16 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Knox College is $23,813 for Illinois Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

The impressive 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Knox

With a ranking of #8, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 18 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $22,526 for Illinois Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#9

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Lake Forest is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 16 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lake Forest, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $30,189 for Illinois Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Lake Forest.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Lake Forest Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#10

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in Bloomington, Illinois, and it awarded 8 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k list, Illinois Wesleyan has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $27,302 for illinois natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Illinois Wesleyan

#11

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $30,877 for illinois natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at DePaul University

#12

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 95 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $36,700 for Illinois Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Loyola Chicago.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, 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 85%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Loyola Chicago

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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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