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2023 Best Natural Resources Conservation Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region

13 Ranked Colleges
1,181 Degrees Awarded
$29,500 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation

Veterans 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 Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation” 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 Rocky Mountains region, there were 1,181 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,165 and $22,802 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation” ranking analyzed 13 colleges that offered a degree in natural resources conservation. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great natural resources conservation programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the natural resources conservation program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation

The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region vets studying conservation.

Top 13 Best Natural Resources Conservation Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region

1
DU crest
University of Denver
Denver, Colorado

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Denver. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation list. This fairly large school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 32 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

DU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 13,856 students enrolled at University of Denver, 571 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 373 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,359. To help with additional expenses, 155 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 DU Veteran Student Life Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Colorado Boulder. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation list. CU - Boulder is a large public school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 268 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

CU - Boulder not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 37,437 students enrolled at University of Colorado Boulder, 1,379 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 968 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,889. On top of their other funding sources, 46 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Colorado Boulder]](/colleges/university-of-colorado-boulder/student-life/veterans/)

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation list. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, this large public school handed out 61 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

Colorado State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Colorado State University - Fort Collins supports 32,428 students, and 1,606 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,183 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,701. In addition to receiving other benefits, 68 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 Colorado State Veteran Student Life Report

4
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wyoming. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation. University of Wyoming is located in Laramie, Wyoming and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 67 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

UW also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 11,829 students enrolled at UW, 473 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 255 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,738. In addition to receiving other benefits, 13 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Wyoming]](/colleges/university-of-wyoming/student-life/veterans/)

5
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Utah. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 98 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

U of U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 33,081 students enrolled at University of Utah, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Utah offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Utah]](/colleges/university-of-utah/student-life/veterans/)

6
UM crest
The University of Montana
Missoula, Montana

With a ranking of #6, The University of Montana did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation list. Located in Missoula, Montana, this fairly large public school handed out 97 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UM, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, The University of Montana supports 9,808 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at The University of Montana]](/colleges/the-university-of-montana/student-life/veterans/)

7

Utah State University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation list. USU is a large school located in Logan, Utah that handed out 38 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

USU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, USU supports 27,691 students, and 3 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $285. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at USU]](/colleges/utah-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

8
U of I crest
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho

University of Idaho did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation ranking, coming in at #8. U of I is located in Moscow, Idaho and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 77 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

U of I did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 10,791 students enrolled at U of I, 382 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 248 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,784. On top of their other funding sources, 29 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Read More…

9

Metropolitan State University of Denver came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation ranking. MSU Denver is a public institution located in Denver, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying conservation list, MSU Denver has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 19,086 students enrolled at MSU Denver, 1,222 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 867 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,619. During this same period, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Metropolitan State University of Denver]](/colleges/metropolitan-state-college-of-denver/student-life/veterans/)

10

Boise State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation ranking. Boise State is a large public school situated in Boise, Idaho. It awarded 48 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Boise State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 24,069 students enrolled at Boise State University, 1,134 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 798 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,559. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Boise State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Full Boise State University Veteran Student Life Report

11
Colorado Mesa crest
Colorado Mesa University
Grand Junction, Colorado

With a ranking of #11, Colorado Mesa University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation list. Located in Grand Junction, Colorado, this medium-sized public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colorado Mesa, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 439 of the 9,110 students enrolled at Colorado Mesa were GI Bill® students, of which 196 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,707. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Colorado Mesa does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

12
FLC crest
Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado

With a ranking of #12, Fort Lewis College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation list. Fort Lewis College is a small school located in Durango, Colorado that handed out 33 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying conservation list, FLC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 101 of the 3,469 students enrolled at FLC were GI Bill® students, of which 53 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,268. To help with additional expenses, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full FLC Veteran Student Life Report

13
Western crest
Western Colorado University
Gunnison, Colorado

Western Colorado University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Conservation ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Gunnison, Colorado, this small public school awarded 62 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

Western did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 75 of the 3,203 students enrolled at Western were GI Bill® students, of which 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,543. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Western Colorado University]](/colleges/western-state-college-of-colorado/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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