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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation in the Plains States Region

94 Ranked Colleges
1,362 Degrees Awarded
$24,400 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Natural Resources Conservation is the 49th most popular major in the country with 22,254 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, natural resources conservation graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,963 and had an average of $23,098 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,362 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $43,125 and $24,828 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region” ranking analyzed 94 colleges that offered a degree in natural resources conservation. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their natural resources conservation program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Natural Resources Conservation Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Conservation Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region conservation students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation in the Plains States Region

1
Sinte Gleska University crest
Sinte Gleska University
Mission, South Dakota

Out of the 94 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Sinte Gleska University landed the #1 spot on the list. Sinte Gleska University is a public institution located in Mission, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Sinte Gleska University Natural Resources Conservation Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Haskell Indian Nations University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. Haskell is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Haskell

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vermilion Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region. Vermilion Community College is a public institution located in Ely, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Vermilion Community College

4
NHSC crest
Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
New Town, North Dakota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. NHSC is a public institution located in New Town, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College

5

Out of the 94 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #5 spot on the list. UMN Morris is a small public school situated in Morris, Minnesota. It awarded 12 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Minnesota - Morris

6
Gustavus Adolphus crest
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. Gustavus Adolphus is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Peter, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Gustavus Adolphus College Natural Resources Conservation Report

7
Sitting Bull College crest
Sitting Bull College
Fort Yates, North Dakota

With a ranking of #7, Sitting Bull College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. Sitting Bull College is a small public school situated in Fort Yates, North Dakota. It awarded 2 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Sitting Bull College

8

University of Minnesota - Crookston landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Crookston, Minnesota, this small public school handed out 17 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UMN Crookston

9
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full St. Olaf Natural Resources Conservation Report

10
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College of Saint Benedict
Saint Joseph, Minnesota

College of Saint Benedict came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Saint Joseph, Minnesota, and it awarded 16 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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%.

Full College of Saint Benedict Natural Resources Conservation Report

11
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, Iowa

Luther College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Decorah, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 15 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Luther Natural Resources Conservation Report

12
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Macalester College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Macalester College is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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 Natural Resources Conservation at Macalester College

13
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Carleton College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Carleton is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 15 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Carleton College Natural Resources Conservation Report

14
Cottey College crest
Cottey College
Nevada, Missouri

Cottey College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Cottey College is located in Nevada, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Cottey College

15
Cornell College crest
Cornell College
Mount Vernon, Iowa

Cornell College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. Cornell College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mount Vernon, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cornell College Natural Resources Conservation Report

16
Concordia College Moorhead crest
Concordia College at Moorhead
Moorhead, Minnesota

Concordia College at Moorhead came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Concordia College Moorhead is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Moorhead, Minnesota. It awarded 12 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Concordia College at Moorhead

17
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Saint Johns University
Collegeville, Minnesota

Saint Johns University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Collegeville, Minnesota, and it awarded 10 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 about Natural Resources Conservation at Saint Johns University

18

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 136 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 UNL Natural Resources Conservation Report

19
Briar Cliff crest
Briar Cliff University
Sioux City, Iowa

Briar Cliff University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Briar Cliff University is located in Sioux City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Briar Cliff

20

University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 52 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 about Natural Resources Conservation at UMN Duluth

21
Central crest
Central College
Pella, Iowa

With a ranking of #21, Central College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. Central College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pella, Iowa. It awarded 5 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 about Natural Resources Conservation at Central

22
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa

Drake University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Drake

23

Westminster College Missouri came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Fulton, Missouri, and it awarded 3 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Westminster College Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Report

24
Bemidji State University crest
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Bemidji, Minnesota, this small public school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Bemidji State University

25
UD crest
University of Dubuque
Dubuque, Iowa

University of Dubuque did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #25. UD is a small school located in Dubuque, Iowa that handed out 9 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UD

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