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2025 Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region

19 Colleges in the Plains States Region
1,825 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.

College Factual reviewed 19 schools in the Plains States 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 1,825 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 Plains States Region Your choice of natural resources & conservation school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

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 the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 the Plains States Region

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 Plains States Region Schools in Natural Resources & Conservation

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
222 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$34,603 Median Starting Salary

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in natural resources & conservation. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were approximately 222 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities 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 $34,603.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
124 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$38,419 Median Starting Salary

Iowa State University is a good choice for students interested in a degree in natural resources & conservation. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #88 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 124 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the natural resources & conservation program earn around $38,419 for their early career.

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

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
75 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
1.3% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in natural resources & conservation needs to take a look at South Dakota State University. South Dakota State is a fairly large public university located in the town of Brookings. This university ranks 3rd out of 13 colleges for overall quality in the state of South Dakota.

There were roughly 75 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at South Dakota State in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, natural resources & conservation degree recipients typically make around $39,483 in the first five years of their career.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
131 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$33,514 Median Starting Salary

University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in natural resources & conservation. UNL is a very large public university located in the large city of Lincoln. A Best Colleges rank of #207 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNL is a great university overall.

There were approximately 131 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UNL in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the natural resources & conservation program make around $33,514 for their early career.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of Nebraska - Lincoln

5
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
8.6% Growth in Graduates

Iowa is a very large public university located in the small city of Iowa City. A Best Colleges rank of #80 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were roughly 70 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, natural resources & conservation degree recipients typically earn about $35,650 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of Iowa

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
6.7% Growth in Graduates

K -State is a large public university located in the small city of Manhattan. A Best Colleges rank of #269 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means K -State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 60 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at K -State in the most recent year we have data available. Those natural resources & conservation students who get their degree from Kansas State University receive $6,078 more than the typical natural resources & conservation graduate.

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

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
95 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
21.1% Growth in Graduates

Mizzou is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #131 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were approximately 95 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou 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 $35,596.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of Missouri - Columbia

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
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$29,921 Median Starting Salary

St. Olaf is a small private not-for-profit college located in the town of Northfield. A Best Colleges rank of #301 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means St. Olaf is a great college overall.

There were roughly 31 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at St. Olaf in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the natural resources & conservation program make an average of $29,921 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from St Olaf College

9
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
50.0% Growth in Graduates

Macalester is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large city of Saint Paul. This college ranks 8th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were about 38 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Macalester in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, natural resources & conservation degree recipients typically make about $29,559 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from Macalester College

10
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
55 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$34,374 Median Starting Salary

KU is a very large public university located in the city of Lawrence. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 55 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at KU 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 income of $34,374.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of Kansas

Best Natural Resources & Conservation Colleges by State

Explore the best natural resources & conservation schools for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Kansas 38 140
Minnesota 38 626
Iowa 38 354
South Dakota 38 83
Missouri 38 252
Nebraska 36 196
North Dakota 35 66

View All Rankings >

Natural Resources & Conservation Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Natural Resources Conservation 1,369
Wildlife Management 194
Natural Resource Management 134
Forestry 101
Natural Resources Conservation (Other) 22
Fisheries Sciences 5

View All Natural Resources & Conservation Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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