2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 an Associate in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Plains States region, there were 1,830 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,070 and $31,094 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 160 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,069 and $19,434 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for an Associate in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 2 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for an Associate in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 an Associate in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region associate degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Top 2 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

#1

Itasca Community College

Grand Rapids, Minnesota

#1 in overall quality

$11,449 Average Net Price

Out of the 2 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for an Associate in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Itasca Community College landed the #1 spot on the list. Itasca Community College is a small public school situated in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. It awarded 7 associates’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Itasca Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Itasca Community College is $11,449 for Plains States Region Associate Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Full Itasca Community College Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#2

Vermilion Community College

Ely, Minnesota

#2 in overall quality

$14,154 Average Net Price

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vermilion Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for an Associate in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Vermilion Community College is a small public school situated in Ely, Minnesota. It awarded 49 associates’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vermilion Community College, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,154 for Plains States Region Associate Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend Vermilion Community College.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Vermilion Community College

• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (With Aid)

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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