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2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

32 Ranked Colleges
1,353 Degrees Awarded
$16,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,353 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 32 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

#14 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Crookston. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. University of Minnesota - Crookston is a small school located in Crookston, Minnesota that handed out 26 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Crookston also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend UMN Crookston is $10,952 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

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

#2

Valley City State University

Valley City, North Dakota
#16 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Valley City State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Valley City State University is a small school located in Valley City, North Dakota that handed out 16 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Valley City State University, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Valley City State University is $11,981 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Valley City State University

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $15,496 for plains states region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#4

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 170 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $17,740 for plains states region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#17 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nebraska at Omaha. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UNOMAHA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,040 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Natural Resources & Conservation Report

With a ranking of #6, University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Minnesota - Morris is located in Morris, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,412 for plains states region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend University of Minnesota - Morris.

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%.

Full University of Minnesota - Morris Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#7

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#15 in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Saint Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

St. Cloud State University also took the #15 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Cloud State University is $14,267 for plains states region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at St. Cloud State University

#11 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Minnesota State Mankato is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

Minnesota State Mankato not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $16,221 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Minnesota State University - Mankato

#9

Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, Missouri

With a ranking of #9, Missouri Western State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Saint Joseph, Missouri, this small public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Missouri Western is $10,958 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Full Missouri Western State University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#10

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#5 in overall quality

South Dakota State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. South Dakota State University is a fairly large public school situated in Brookings, South Dakota. It awarded 72 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State University is $19,252 for plains states region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 South Dakota State

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UNL is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 84 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid list, UNL has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNL is $17,208 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#12 in overall quality

North Dakota State University - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Dakota State University, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $16,584 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at North Dakota State University

#13

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#13 in overall quality

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 68 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $19,145 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Iowa

Northwest Missouri State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Northwest Missouri State University is located in Maryville, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,354 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend Northwest Missouri State University.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Northwest Missouri State University

#15

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Southeast Missouri State University is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Southeast Missouri State University is $12,774 for plains states region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Full Southeast Missouri State University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#16

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City is $14,643 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Missouri - Kansas City

#18 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UMN Duluth is a fairly large public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 36 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,067 for plains states region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend UMN Duluth.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#24 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Missouri - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also took the #24 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $16,001 for plains states region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Mizzou Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#25 in overall quality

Missouri State University - Springfield came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Missouri State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State University - Springfield is $16,725 for plains states region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Full Missouri State University - Springfield Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#20

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#20 in overall quality

Kansas State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. K -State is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 47 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State also took the #20 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,285 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend K -State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at K -State

#21

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $26,869 for plains states region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Washington University in St Louis Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#22

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#23 in overall quality

University of Kansas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. KU is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 47 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

KU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,918 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend KU.

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

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

#23

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, Minnesota
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Saint Johns University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. SJU is located in Collegeville, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

SJU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Saint Johns University is $24,271 for plains states region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Saint Johns University

#24

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gustavus Adolphus, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Gustavus Adolphus College is $19,093 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 88%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Gustavus Adolphus

#25

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Luther College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Luther College is located in Decorah, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Luther, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Luther is $23,620 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Luther

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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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