2025 Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in California
22
Colleges in California
4,028
Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$38,408
Avg Early-Career Salary
Natural Resources & Conservation degree programs are on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of popularity. In fact, the major ranks #25 out of the 38 majors we look at each year. While this may limit the number of schools that offer the degree program, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 22 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for natural resources & conservation students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 4,028 degrees in natural resources & conservation annually.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Natural Resources & Conservation School
The natural resources & conservation program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Natural Resources & Conservation rankings. For our Best Overall Natural Resources & Conservation School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Pick Your Natural Resources & Conservation Degree Level
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 the Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in California.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
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.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
Best Schools for Natural Resources & Conservation in California
The schools below may not offer all types of natural resources & conservation degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top California Schools in Natural Resources & Conservation
Every student pursuing a degree in natural resources & conservation needs to check out University of California - Berkeley. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were about 550 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Those natural resources & conservation students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley earn $10,540 more than the standard natural resources & conservation student.
More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of California - Berkeley
Any student who is interested in natural resources & conservation needs to look into University of California - Davis. UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Davis. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.
There were about 367 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the natural resources & conservation program state that they receive average early career earnings of $36,209.
More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of California - Davis
Bachelors
Degree Type
BS in Environmental Science - Natural Resources & Conservation
Program Name
Develop a broad-based interdisciplinary skill set to solve complex environmental problems like climate change, alternative energy and sustainability with a specialized online degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in BS in Environmental Science - Natural Resources & Conservation from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
University of California - Los Angeles is a great option for students pursuing a degree in natural resources & conservation. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were approximately 110 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. After graduating, natural resources & conservation degree recipients usually make around $31,944 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of California - Los Angeles
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
14th
Most Popular In CA
88
Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
Any student pursuing a degree in natural resources & conservation needs to check out University of Southern California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 88 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of Southern California
UCSB is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara. A Best Colleges rank of #47 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.
There were approximately 406 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the natural resources & conservation program make around $38,353 for their early career.
More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of California - Santa Barbara
Located in the small city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #91 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.
There were about 167 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, natural resources & conservation degree recipients usually earn an average of $29,152 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of California - Santa Cruz
SCU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Santa Clara. A Best Colleges rank of #53 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 41 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the natural resources & conservation degree program at Santa Clara University make $4,168 more than the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from Santa Clara University
Bachelors
Degree Type
BS in Environmental Science
Program Name
Learn to analyze environmental issues and repair and prevent damage caused by climate change with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in BS in Environmental Science from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.
There were approximately 72 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the natural resources & conservation program earn an average of $36,304 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of California - Irvine
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo. This university ranks 22nd out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 185 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the most recent data year. Natural Resources & Conservation degree recipients from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo receive an earnings boost of approximately $4,318 above the typical income of natural resources & conservation majors.
More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 25th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 119 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the natural resources & conservation program make around $34,090 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from San Diego State University
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