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by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Natural Resources & Conservation is the 25th most popular major in the country with 30,503 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, natural resources and conservation graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,158 and had an average of $23,267 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 6,327 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,301 and $21,829 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking analyzed 45 colleges that offered a degree 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.
The natural resources & conservation school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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.
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Monterey Bay. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 87 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $13,597 for Far Western US Region Natural Resources & Conservation students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at California State University - Monterey Bay
Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Washington University landed the #3 spot on the list. WWU is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 262 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
WWU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $17,070 for Far Western US Region Natural Resources & Conservation students per year to attend Western Washington University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Western Washington University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region list. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our far western us region natural resources & conservation students list, San Jose State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $16,542 for Far Western US Region Natural Resources & Conservation students.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at San Jose State
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region list. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 109 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $13,845 for Far Western US Region Natural Resources & Conservation students.
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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #6, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 332 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,956 for Far Western US Region Natural Resources & Conservation students per year to attend Humboldt State University.
Full Humboldt State University Natural Resources & Conservation Report
With a ranking of #7, Washington State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Washington State University is a public institution located in Pullman, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region natural resources & conservation students list, Wazzu has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wazzu is $15,300 for Far Western US Region Natural Resources & Conservation students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 State University Natural Resources & Conservation Report
San Francisco State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,459 for far western us region natural resources & conservation students per year to attend SFSU.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 SFSU
With a ranking of #9, University of Nevada - Reno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region list. University of Nevada - Reno is located in Reno, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 89 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.
UNR also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nevada - Reno is $14,930 for far western us region natural resources & conservation students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 University of Nevada - Reno
With a ranking of #10, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region list. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 22 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $13,298 for far western us region natural resources & conservation students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at California State University - East Bay
Sonoma State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $17,563 for Far Western US Region Natural Resources & Conservation students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #12, Oregon State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Oregon State University is located in Corvallis, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 611 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.
Oregon State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $21,508 for Far Western US Region Natural Resources & Conservation students per year to attend Oregon State University.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Oregon State University
With a ranking of #13, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $8,107 for Far Western US Region Natural Resources & Conservation students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at CSUSB
California State University - Chico landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 39 degrees to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $16,218 for Far Western US Region Natural Resources & Conservation students per year to attend Chico State.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.
Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at California State University - Chico
California State University - Long Beach ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 55 diplomas to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,054 for far western us region natural resources & conservation students per year to attend CSULB.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.
Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at CSULB
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 153 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for Far Western US Region Natural Resources & Conservation students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
With a ranking of #17, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region list. CSUSM is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $13,218 for far western us region natural resources & conservation students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
California State University - Sacramento came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 57 degrees to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $11,178 for Far Western US Region Natural Resources & Conservation students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.
With a ranking of #19, Portland State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Portland State University is a large school located in Portland, Oregon that handed out 82 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Portland State University is $12,498 for far western us region natural resources & conservation students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Portland State University Natural Resources & Conservation Report
University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 245 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region natural resources & conservation students list, UW Seattle has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $12,017 for Far Western US Region Natural Resources & Conservation students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
University of Hawaii at Hilo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #21. Hilo, Hawaii is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Hawaii at Hilo is $13,503 for far western us region natural resources & conservation students.
Southern Oregon University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Ashland, Oregon, this medium-sized public school handed out 40 diplomas to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Southern Oregon University is $10,187 for far western us region natural resources & conservation students.
Full Southern Oregon University Natural Resources & Conservation Report
Eastern Washington University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Eastern Washington University is a public institution located in Cheney, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Washington University is $12,335 for Far Western US Region Natural Resources & Conservation students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #24, University of Oregon did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region list. UO is a large public school situated in Eugene, Oregon. It awarded 98 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
UO not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Oregon is $18,047 for Far Western US Region Natural Resources & Conservation students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Oregon
Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey is a private not-for-profit institution located in Monterey, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region natural resources & conservation students list, Middlebury Institute has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 1 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Middlebury Institute
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
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