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2023 Best Natural Resources & Conservation Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region

12 Ranked Colleges
2,179 Degrees Awarded
$29,700 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer 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 a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the natural resources and conservation program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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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” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation

The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region vets studying natural resources & conservation.

Top 12 Best Natural Resources & Conservation Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region

1
DU crest
University of Denver
Denver, Colorado

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Denver. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation list. Denver, Colorado is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 203 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 571 of the 13,856 students enrolled at DU were GI Bill® students, of which 373 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,359. In addition to receiving other benefits, 155 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%.

Full DU Veteran Student Life Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation list. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, this large public school handed out 273 diplomas to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying natural resources & conservation list, Colorado State has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1,606 of the 32,428 students enrolled at Colorado State University - Fort Collins were GI Bill® students, of which 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. On top of their other funding sources, 68 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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.

Read More…

3

Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Colorado Boulder landed the #3 spot on the list. Boulder, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 268 students in 2020-2021.

CU - Boulder did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 37,437 students enrolled at University of Colorado Boulder, 1,379 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 968 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school 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.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 CU - Boulder Veteran Student Life Report

4
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wyoming landed the #4 spot on the list. UW is a public institution located in Laramie, Wyoming. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 81 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying natural resources & conservation list, UW has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 11,829 students enrolled at UW, 473 are 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. During this same period, 13 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 More…

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Utah State University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation. Logan, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 112 students in 2020-2021.

USU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 27,691 students enrolled at USU, 3 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $285. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 More…

6
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation ranking. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 98 students in 2020-2021.

U of U also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 33,081 students enrolled at University of Utah, 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Utah does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read More…

7
UM crest
The University of Montana
Missoula, Montana

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 ranking. This fairly large school is located in Missoula, Montana, and it awarded 230 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying natural resources & conservation list, UM has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 9,808 students enrolled at UM were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full The University of Montana Veteran Student Life Report

8

Metropolitan State University of Denver ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation list. MSU Denver is located in Denver, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

MSU Denver also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,619. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full MSU Denver Veteran Student Life Report

9
U of I crest
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho

University of Idaho ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation list. U of I is a fairly large public school situated in Moscow, Idaho. It awarded 197 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

U of I also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” 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. During this same period, 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at U of I]](/colleges/university-of-idaho/student-life/veterans/)

10

With a ranking of #10, Boise State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation list. Located in Boise, Idaho, this large public school awarded 48 degrees to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.

Boise State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.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 scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 Boise State]](/colleges/boise-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

11
FLC crest
Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado

Fort Lewis College ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation list. Fort Lewis College is a small public school situated in Durango, Colorado. It awarded 33 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying natural resources & conservation list, FLC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 101 of the 3,469 students enrolled at Fort Lewis College were GI Bill® students, of which 53 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,268. To help with additional expenses, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Fort Lewis College Veteran Student Life Report

12
Western crest
Western Colorado University
Gunnison, Colorado

Western Colorado University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Natural Resources & Conservation ranking, coming in at #12. Western is a public institution located in Gunnison, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 62 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Western also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 75 of the 3,203 students enrolled at Western were GI Bill® students, of which 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Western Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

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