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2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k

23 Ranked Colleges
2,575 Degrees Awarded
$20,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 30,341 people earned their degree in natural resources and conservation, making the major the 26th most popular in the United States. 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 Southwest region, there were 2,575 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,417 and $24,287 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 23 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the natural resources and conservation program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Natural Resources & Conservation Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k

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

Top 24 Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $75-$110k) in the Southwest Region

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Edinburg, Texas, and it awarded 26 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $11,400 for Southwest Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Phoenix - Arizona. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Phoenix - Arizona is a large private for-profit school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 150 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UOPX - Arizona also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $17,013 for Southwest Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UOPX - Arizona.

Full UOPX - Arizona Natural Resources & Conservation Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Las Cruces, New Mexico is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NMSU Main Campus, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for New Mexico State University - Main Campus is $12,909 for southwest region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at New Mexico State University - Main Campus

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Arizona State University - Tempe. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 231 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe also took the #7 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $17,373 for Southwest Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend ASU - Tempe.

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

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Arizona State University - Tempe

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It awarded 28 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend OSU is $18,978 for Southwest Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at OSU

#6

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #6, University of Houston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

UH also took the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $18,844 for Southwest Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Houston.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Houston

With a ranking of #7, Stephen F Austin State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. SFASU is a public institution located in Nacogdoches, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 71 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFASU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $18,653 for Southwest Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Stephen F Austin State University.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Stephen F Austin State University

#8

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Texas Tech is a public institution located in Lubbock, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 75 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k list, Texas Tech has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech University is $21,305 for Southwest Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Texas Tech University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

The University of Texas at San Antonio came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this large public school awarded 65 degrees to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

UTSA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $18,275 for Southwest Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UTSA.

Full The University of Texas at San Antonio Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#10

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

With a ranking of #10, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 159 students in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $20,200 for southwest region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#11

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

With a ranking of #11, Texas State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in San Marcos, Texas, this large public school awarded 120 diplomas to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

Texas State also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Texas State is $19,683 for Southwest Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Texas State Natural Resources & Conservation Report

University of Houston - Clear Lake landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k list, UH Clear Lake has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UH Clear Lake is $17,593 for southwest region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Houston - Clear Lake

#13

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas

Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 416 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - College Station is $26,028 for southwest region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Texas A&M University - College Station

With a ranking of #14, The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UT Arlington is a large public school situated in Arlington, Texas. It awarded 26 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington also took the #12 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Arlington is $16,473 for southwest region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at The University of Texas at Arlington

#15

New Mexico Highlands University

Las Vegas, New Mexico

New Mexico Highlands University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. New Mexico Highlands University is a small public school situated in Las Vegas, New Mexico. It awarded 14 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at New Mexico Highlands University, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend New Mexico Highlands University is $14,069 for southwest region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at New Mexico Highlands University

#16

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #16. Northern Arizona University is a large public school situated in Flagstaff, Arizona. It awarded 257 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

NAU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $16,535 for Southwest Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend NAU.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at NAU

Texas A&M University - Commerce came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Commerce, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M Commerce not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M Commerce is $19,060 for Southwest Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Texas A&M Commerce Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#18

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, Texas

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Corpus Christi, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $19,418 for Southwest Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Texas A&M Corpus Christi

With a ranking of #19, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma is $24,730 for southwest region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Oklahoma

#19

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it awarded 85 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k list, ASU - Skysong has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $20,321 for southwest region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend ASU - Skysong.

Full ASU - Skysong Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#20

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, Texas

Tarleton State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Tarleton State University is a public institution located in Stephenville, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 63 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Tarleton also took the #23 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $21,678 for Southwest Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Tarleton.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Tarleton

#21

Southwestern University

Georgetown, Texas
#13 in overall quality

Southwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Georgetown, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

Southwestern also took the #13 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southwestern is $25,750 for Southwest Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Southwestern Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#22

Baylor University

Waco, Texas

With a ranking of #22, Baylor University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Baylor University is a fairly large school located in Waco, Texas that handed out 38 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Baylor did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Baylor University is $35,300 for Southwest Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Baylor Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#23

Saint Edward's University

Austin, Texas

With a ranking of #23, Saint Edward’s University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Saint Edward’s University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 16 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Edward’s University, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $27,753 for southwest region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Saint Edward’s University.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Saint Edward’s University

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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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