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

94 Ranked Colleges
1,362 Degrees Awarded
$28,700 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region” ranking.

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 “Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region” ranking analyzed 94 colleges that offered a degree in natural resources conservation. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular natural resources conservation programs in the United States.

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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region

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

1

Out of the 94 schools in the Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #1 spot on the 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 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UMN Twin Cities

2

Out of the 94 schools in the Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a large school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 136 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Full UNL Natural Resources Conservation Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 101 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Iowa State University

4
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

Out of the 94 schools in the Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #4 spot on the list. Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 ’s conservation degrees to qualified 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Iowa

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 69 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Mizzou

6
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 59 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of Kansas

7

University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Minnesota - Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Natural Resources Conservation Report

8
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Webster University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. Webster University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Webster

9
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. K -State is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 34 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Kansas State University

10
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. 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.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, 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 91%.

Full St. Olaf Natural Resources Conservation Report

11
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa

With a ranking of #11, Drake University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Des Moines, Iowa, and it awarded 27 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Drake

12

University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 25 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNOMAHA Natural Resources Conservation Report

13
Bemidji State University crest
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Bemidji, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Bemidji State University

14
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. South Dakota State University is a fairly large school located in Brookings, South Dakota that handed out 20 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 South Dakota State University

15
Southeast Missouri State University crest
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

Full Southeast Missouri State University Natural Resources Conservation Report

15
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Macalester College ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. Macalester College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 19 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, 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 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Macalester College

15

Haskell Indian Nations University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. Haskell is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Haskell Indian Nations University

18

University of St Thomas Minnesota landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. UST MN is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of St Thomas Minnesota

18

University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #18. UMKC is a fairly large school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 18 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of Missouri - Kansas City

20

With a ranking of #20, University of Minnesota - Crookston did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. University of Minnesota - Crookston is a small school located in Crookston, Minnesota that handed out 17 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Full UMN Crookston Natural Resources Conservation Report

20
Gustavus Adolphus crest
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Gustavus Adolphus College

22
Creighton crest
Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska

Creighton University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Creighton University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 16 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Creighton University

22
CSB crest
College of Saint Benedict
Saint Joseph, Minnesota

College of Saint Benedict came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. College of Saint Benedict is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Joseph, Minnesota. It awarded 16 ’s conservation degrees 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full College of Saint Benedict Natural Resources Conservation Report

24
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, Iowa

Luther College ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. Luther is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decorah, Iowa. It awarded 15 ’s conservation degrees 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%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Luther College

24
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Carleton College ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. Carleton is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northfield, Minnesota. It awarded 15 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Carleton Natural Resources Conservation Report

24
Metro State crest
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Metropolitan State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 15 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Metro State

24

With a ranking of #24, Vermilion Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Conservation Major in the Plains States Region list. Vermilion Community College is a small school located in Ely, Minnesota that handed out 27 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Vermilion Community College Natural Resources Conservation Report

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