2026 Best Value Natural Resource Management Schools in Montana
[Natural Resource Management](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/natural-resource-management/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value natural resource management schools.
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2026 Best Value Natural Resource Management Schools in Montana
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in natural resource management, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Natural Resource Management Schools
Our analysis ranked The University Of Montana the best value for a degree in natural resource management in Montana. Set in the city of Missoula, The University Of Montana is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,552, compared with $33,671 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for natural resource management graduates is $24,342. Early-career natural resource management graduates make about $42,654. Set against $24,342 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The University Of Montana admits about 96% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, 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 2 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.
