2027 Best Value Natural Resource Recreation & Tourism Schools in the Southeast Region

[Natural Resource Recreation & Tourism](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/natural-resource-management/natural-resource-recreation-and-tourism/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for natural resource recreation & tourism students.
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2027 Best Value Natural Resource Recreation & Tourism Schools in the Southeast Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the natural resource recreation & tourism degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Natural Resource Recreation & Tourism Schools
Our analysis ranked Northwest Arkansas Community College the best value for a degree in natural resource recreation & tourism in the Southeast Region. Located in the city of Bentonville, Northwest Arkansas Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,342, with out-of-state students paying around $5,238. Students borrow a median of $12,479 to complete the natural resource recreation & tourism program here. Early-career natural resource recreation & tourism graduates make about $40,671. That is a strong return on a $12,479 median debt.
University Of Georgia came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value natural resource recreation & tourism schools. Set in the city of Athens, University Of Georgia is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,450, compared with $31,688 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for natural resource recreation & tourism graduates is $21,792. Natural Resource Recreation & Tourism graduates of University Of Georgia earn a median of $53,546 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,792 median debt. The acceptance rate is 38%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Auburn University earned it the #3 place for natural resource recreation & tourism. Auburn University is a very large public school located in the city of Auburn. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,890, while out-of-state students pay about $34,922. Students borrow a median of $22,803 to complete the natural resource recreation & tourism program here. Soon after graduation, natural resource recreation & tourism degree recipients from Auburn University generally make around $55,422. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Auburn University admits about 46% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.