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2024 Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Great Lakes Region

43 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
3,064 Conservation Degrees Awarded
$33,465 Avg Early-Career Salary
Natural Resources Conservation is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #49 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 43 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for natural resources conservation students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 3,064 degrees in natural resources conservation to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Natural Resources Conservation School

Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of natural resources conservation school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for natural resources conservation schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Natural Resources Conservation Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Conservation
Bachelor's Degrees in Conservation
Master's Degrees in Conservation
Doctor's Degrees in 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 Great Lakes 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 Great Lakes Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the conservation degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Conservation

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
310 Conservation Degrees Awarded
14.8% Growth in Graduates

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in natural resources conservation. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were roughly 310 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Those natural resources conservation students who get their degree from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor earn $6,065 more than the average conservation graduate.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
444 Conservation Degrees Awarded
0.9% Growth in Graduates

University of Wisconsin - Madison is a great option for students pursuing a degree in natural resources conservation. UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the large city of Madison. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were about 444 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the conservation program state that they receive average early career income of $27,422.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from University of Wisconsin - Madison

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
158 Conservation Degrees Awarded
3.2% Growth in Graduates

Ohio State University - Main Campus is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in natural resources conservation. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 158 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the conservation program make about $34,756 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Ohio State University - Main Campus

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
87 Conservation Degrees Awarded
$35,073 Median Starting Salary

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in natural resources conservation. UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 87 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, conservation degree recipients usually earn around $35,073 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 Conservation Degrees Awarded
$40,857 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were about 107 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the natural resources conservation major at Indiana University - Bloomington earn $7,392 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Indiana University - Bloomington

6
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 Conservation Degrees Awarded
2.6% Growth in Graduates

Michigan State is a very large public university located in the city of East Lansing. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were about 76 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the conservation program make about $27,553 for their early career.

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

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Conservation Degrees Awarded
9.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were about 41 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the natural resources conservation degree program at Purdue University - Main Campus make $5,048 above the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Purdue University - Main Campus

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
66 Conservation Degrees Awarded
$31,620 Median Starting Salary

Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 66 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. After graduating, conservation degree recipients generally earn about $31,620 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Loyola University Chicago

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Conservation Degrees Awarded
$30,036 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Allendale, GVSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 9th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 60 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at GVSU in the most recent data year. After graduating, conservation degree recipients usually make around $30,036 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Grand Valley State University

10
Denison crest
Denison University
Granville, OH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$27,021 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small suburb of Granville, Denison is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #162 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Denison is a great university overall.

There were about 23 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Denison in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, conservation degree recipients usually earn about $27,021 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Denison University

Best Natural Resources Conservation Colleges by State

Explore the best natural resources conservation schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 742
Ohio 314 650
Illinois 304 488
Indiana 294 364
Wisconsin 273 561

View All Rankings >

Natural Resources Conservation is one of 5 different types of Natural Resources & Conservation programs to choose from.

Conservation Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Environmental Studies 1,381
Environmental Science 1,157
Natural Resources/Conservation, General 498
Natural Resources Conservation & Research, Other 28

View All Conservation Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Natural Resource Management 373
Forestry 259
Wildlife Management 245
Fisheries Sciences 144
Natural Resources Conservation (Other) 33

View All Conservation Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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