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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation

1,015 Ranked Colleges
22,254 Degrees Awarded
$34,000 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Conservation Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Conservation Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 22,254 people earned their degree in natural resources conservation, making the major the 49th most popular in the United States. 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.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Conservation Major” ranking looked at 1,015 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in natural resources conservation. To top this list, a school must have a successful natural resources conservation program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 “Most Well Attended Conservation Major” list to help you make the college decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Well Attended Conservation Major

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

1

Out of the 1,015 schools in the Most Well Attended Conservation Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 604 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of California - Berkeley

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major list. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 470 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 University of California - Santa Barbara Natural Resources Conservation Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M University - College Station. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major list. Texas A&M College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 316 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Texas A&M College Station Natural Resources Conservation Report

4
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Public University System. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major list. American Military University is a large school located in Charles Town, West Virginia that handed out 334 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at American Public University System

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 310 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at U-M

6
SNHU crest
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, New Hampshire

Southern New Hampshire University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Conservation Major list. Manchester, New Hampshire is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 303 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at SNHU

7

University of Colorado Boulder did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Boulder, Colorado, this large public school handed out 268 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full CU - Boulder Natural Resources Conservation Report

8

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 269 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UC Davis

8
UVM crest
University of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont

University of Vermont landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major ranking. University of Vermont is a public institution located in Burlington, Vermont. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 267 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Vermont

10
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major ranking. Western Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 254 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at WWU

11

With a ranking of #11, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 444 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UW - Madison Natural Resources Conservation Report

12

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Conservation Major ranking. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 220 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UC Santa Cruz

13

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 213 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UW Seattle

14
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major ranking. North Carolina State University is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 208 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full NC State Natural Resources Conservation Report

15
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 243 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Harvard University

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 181 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

17
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Conservation Major ranking. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 177 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Humboldt State University

18
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major ranking, coming in at #18. Duke is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 174 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Duke University

19

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major ranking, coming in at #19. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 212 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at ASU - Tempe

20

With a ranking of #20, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 158 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Natural Resources Conservation Report

21
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Conservation Major list. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 155 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Florida State University

22

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major ranking, coming in at #22. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 154 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

22

With a ranking of #22, University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major list. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 154 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 University of Massachusetts Amherst

24
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Conservation Major ranking. Yale is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 150 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Yale University

25

University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major ranking, coming in at #25. UOPX - Arizona is a private for-profit institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 142 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Phoenix - Arizona

25
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major ranking, coming in at #25. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 144 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Arizona

25

With a ranking of #25, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school handed out 142 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 University of South Florida - Main Campus Natural Resources Conservation Report

Rest of the Best 49 in Most Well Attended Conservation Major

Not only did these schools make the top 49 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

28
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
29
30
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon
31
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina
32
33
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
34
35
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
36
37
38
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut
39
39
39
42
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
42
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
44
UM crest
The University of Montana
Missoula, Montana
45
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona
46
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts
46
48
Stockton State crest
Stockton University
Galloway, New Jersey
49
50
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Conservation Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
52Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
52University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA
52Columbia Southern UniversityOrange Beach, AL
55Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NY
55University of California - San DiegoLa Jolla, CA
57University of New Hampshire - Main CampusDurham, NH
58Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
59University of IdahoMoscow, ID
60The University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX
60Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI
62Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA
63San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
64University of Massachusetts - BostonBoston, MA
64Portland State UniversityPortland, OR
66University of WyomingLaramie, WY
RankCollegeLocation
66University of DelawareNewark, DE
66Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA
69Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL
69San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
69University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA
72University of Maryland - College ParkCollege Park, MD
72American UniversityWashington, DC
74University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA
74Florida Gulf Coast UniversityFort Myers, FL
74University of IowaIowa City, IA
74Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
78Western Colorado UniversityGunnison, CO
78University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
80University of Wisconsin - Green BayGreen Bay, WI
80Miami University - OxfordOxford, OH
82University of North Carolina at AshevilleAsheville, NC
83Eckerd CollegeSaint Petersburg, FL
83Texas A&M University - Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi, TX
83Clark UniversityWorcester, MA
86The University of Tennessee - ChattanoogaChattanooga, TN
86Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, MI
88Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ
88California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
88University of MaineOrono, ME
91University of California - IrvineIrvine, CA
RankCollegeLocation
92California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
92Kent State University at KentKent, OH
94University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI
94University of KansasLawrence, KS
96California State University - Channel IslandsCamarillo, CA
97Salisbury UniversitySalisbury, MD
97George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA
97University of San DiegoSan Diego, CA
97University of Minnesota - DuluthDuluth, MN
97California State University - San MarcosSan Marcos, CA
97Northern Michigan UniversityMarquette, MI
103Cleveland State UniversityCleveland, OH
103Towson UniversityTowson, MD
105Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL
105Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
105Antioch University - New EnglandKeene, NH
108University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnati, OH
108Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
110Tufts UniversityMedford, MA
110Allegheny CollegeMeadville, PA
110Boise State UniversityBoise, ID
113University of South Carolina - ColumbiaColumbia, SC
113St Mary’s College of MarylandSt. Mary’s City, MD
115Colby CollegeWaterville, ME
115Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA
RankCollegeLocation
115Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, VT
118George Washington UniversityWashington, DC
118The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL
118The University of Arizona Global CampusSan Diego, CA
121University of FloridaGainesville, FL
121Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
121Montana State UniversityBozeman, MT
121University of California - RiversideRiverside, CA
125Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI
126Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
126Flagler College - St AugustineSaint Augustine, FL
126University of ChicagoChicago, IL
126Purdue University - Main CampusWest Lafayette, IN
126Southern Oregon UniversityAshland, OR
131Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA
131Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY
131California State University - ChicoChico, CA
134Westfield State UniversityWestfield, MA
134University of Nevada - RenoReno, NV
134Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
134Massachusetts Maritime AcademyBuzzards Bay, MA
138Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA
138The University of West FloridaPensacola, FL
140Ramapo College of New JerseyMahwah, NJ
140Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL
RankCollegeLocation
142Stanford UniversityStanford, CA
142Colorado CollegeColorado Springs, CO
142University of Massachusetts - LowellLowell, MA
142Webster UniversitySaint Louis, MO
142Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
142Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
142Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg, PA
149Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO
149The College at BrockportBrockport, NY
149University of Wisconsin - River FallsRiver Falls, WI
149Unity CollegeUnity, ME
149Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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