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2025 Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Great Lakes Region

36 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
4,477 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$38,408 Avg Early-Career Salary
You'll be studying one of the lesser sought-after majors if you pursue a degree in natural resources & conservation. It is ranked #25 out of 38 major degree programs in terms of popularity. As such, your educational options may be more limited than if you were in a more popular field.

College Factual reviewed 36 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of natural resources & conservation. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 4,477 degrees in natural resources & conservation annually.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Natural Resources & Conservation School

Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of natural resources & conservation school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for natural resources & conservation schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Natural Resources & Conservation Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Natural Resources & Conservation
Bachelor's Degrees in Natural Resources & Conservation
Master's Degrees in Natural Resources & Conservation
Doctor's Degrees in Natural Resources & Conservation

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Natural Resources & Conservation in the Great Lakes Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the natural resources & conservation degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Natural Resources & Conservation

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
485 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$29,238 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of Wisconsin - Madison if you wish to pursue a degree in natural resources & conservation. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were roughly 485 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison 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 income of $29,238.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of Wisconsin - Madison

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
352 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
11.4% Growth in Graduates

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in natural resources & conservation. U-M is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were roughly 352 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the natural resources & conservation degree program at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor earn $7,282 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Sponsored
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 University

Related Programs

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
281 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
16.4% Growth in Graduates

Ohio State University - Main Campus is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in natural resources & conservation. Ohio State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Columbus. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 281 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the natural resources & conservation program report average early career earnings of $37,793.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from Ohio State University - Main Campus

4
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
231 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
15.2% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Michigan State University if you wish to pursue a degree in natural resources & conservation. Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 231 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State 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 wages of $34,291.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from Michigan State University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$43,420 Median Starting Salary

IU Bloomington is a very large public university located in the small city of Bloomington. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were roughly 94 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the natural resources & conservation program at Indiana University - Bloomington earn $5,012 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from Indiana University - Bloomington

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
119 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
26.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 119 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the natural resources & conservation program report average early career wages of $31,369.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
284 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$38,316 Median Starting Salary

Located in the distant town of Stevens Point, UW - Stevens Point is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 35th out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were approximately 284 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UW - Stevens Point in the most recent data year. After graduating, natural resources & conservation degree recipients usually earn around $38,316 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Sponsored
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 University

Related Programs

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
103 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
41.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the fringe town of Allendale, GVSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #342 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means GVSU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 103 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at GVSU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the natural resources & conservation program make around $32,118 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from Grand Valley State University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
122 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$35,153 Median Starting Salary

Purdue is a very large public university located in the small city of West Lafayette. A Best Colleges rank of #65 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were about 121.99999999999999 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the natural resources & conservation program report average early career wages of $35,153.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from Purdue University - Main Campus

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
140 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
23.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 140 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, natural resources & conservation degree recipients usually earn an average of $30,797 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from Loyola University Chicago

Best Natural Resources & Conservation Colleges by State

Explore the best natural resources & conservation colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Indiana 38 447
Michigan 38 955
Ohio 38 875
Illinois 38 557
Wisconsin 37 930

View All Rankings >

Natural Resources & Conservation Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Natural Resources Conservation 3,382
Natural Resource Management 417
Wildlife Management 269
Forestry 231
Fisheries Sciences 152
Natural Resources Conservation (Other) 26

View All Natural Resources & Conservation Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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