2023 Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region
14
Ranked Colleges
1,239
Degrees Awarded
$31,620
Avg Salary
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 30,503 people earned their degree in natural resources and conservation, making the major the 25th most popular in the United States. 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 Rocky Mountains region, there were 2,179 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,077 and $22,865 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,239 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,089 and $26,296 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer a degree in natural resources and conservation. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality natural resources and conservation programs as well as strong veteran support.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the natural resources and conservation program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree vets studying natural resources & conservation.
Top 14 Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region
Out of the 14 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Denver landed the #1 spot on the list. DU is located in Denver, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.
DU also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #1.According to our most recent data, DU supports 13,856 students, and 571 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 373 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,359. On top of their other funding sources, 155 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at DU]](/colleges/university-of-denver/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Colorado Boulder. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Boulder, Colorado, and it awarded 188 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
CU - Boulder also took the #2 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.Of the 37,437 students enrolled at University of Colorado Boulder, 1,379 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 968 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,889. In addition to receiving other benefits, 46 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Colorado Boulder Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s list. Colorado State University - Fort Collins is located in Fort Collins, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 106 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.
Colorado State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.Of the 32,428 students enrolled at Colorado State, 1,606 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,183 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,701. To help with additional expenses, 68 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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%.
Full Colorado State University - Fort Collins Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wyoming. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s list. UW is a fairly large public school situated in Laramie, Wyoming. It awarded 73 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree vets studying natural resources & conservation list, UW has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.Of the 11,829 students enrolled at University of Wyoming, 473 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 255 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,738. To help with additional expenses, 13 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Utah State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s list. USU is located in Logan, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 86 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.
USU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 27,691 students enrolled at Utah State University were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $285. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Utah State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at Utah State University]](/colleges/utah-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of Utah came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
U of U also took the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.Among the 33,081 students enrolled at U of U, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
The University of Montana came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Missoula, Montana, this fairly large public school awarded 180 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UM, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.Of the 9,808 students enrolled at UM, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Metropolitan State University of Denver came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s ranking. MSU Denver is located in Denver, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.
MSU Denver did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 1,222 of the 19,086 students enrolled at MSU Denver were GI Bill® students, of which 867 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,619. To help with additional expenses, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. MSU Denver does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Metropolitan State University of Denver Veteran Student Life Report
Boise State University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s list. Boise State University is located in Boise, Idaho and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.
Boise State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.Among the 24,069 students enrolled at Boise State, 1,134 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 798 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,559. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
With a ranking of #10, University of Idaho did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Moscow, Idaho, and it awarded 119 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
U of I also took the #6 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 382 of the 10,791 students enrolled at U of I were GI Bill® students, of which 248 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,784. In addition to receiving other benefits, 29 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. U of I does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Idaho Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #11, Colorado Mesa University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Grand Junction, Colorado, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
Colorado Mesa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.Among the 9,110 students enrolled at Colorado Mesa, 439 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 196 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,707. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
With a ranking of #12, Fort Lewis College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s list. Fort Lewis College is a public institution located in Durango, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
FLC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.According to our most recent data, Fort Lewis College supports 3,469 students, and 101 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 53 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,268. During this same period, 6 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Western Colorado University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s ranking. Western Colorado University is a small school located in Gunnison, Colorado that handed out 33 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Western, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.Among the 3,203 students enrolled at Western Colorado University, 75 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,543. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Western Colorado University Veteran Student Life Report
Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. Rexburg, Idaho is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
BYU - I did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.Of the 44,481 students enrolled at Brigham Young University - Idaho, 471 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 200 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,677. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Brigham Young University - Idaho offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Brigham Young University - Idaho Veteran Student Life Report
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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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- 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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