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2025 Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Great Lakes Region

37 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
3,382 Conservation Degrees Awarded
$38,227 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.

College Factual looked at 37 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,382 degrees in natural resources conservation annually.

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
437 Conservation Degrees Awarded
$29,238 Median Starting Salary

University of Wisconsin - Madison is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in natural resources conservation. UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Madison. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were approximately 437 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 report average early career income of $29,238.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
345 Conservation Degrees Awarded
10.1% Growth in Graduates

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in natural resources conservation. Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were about 345 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Natural Resources Conservation degree recipients from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor receive an earnings boost of approximately $7,463 above the average earnings of natural resources conservation majors.

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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
213 Conservation Degrees Awarded
25.8% Growth in Graduates

Ohio State University - Main Campus is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in natural resources conservation. Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 213 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the conservation program earn an average of $39,545 in the first couple years of their career.

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

4
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
82 Conservation Degrees Awarded
7.3% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in natural resources conservation needs to take a look at Michigan State University. Michigan State is a very large public university located in the city of East Lansing. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were about 82 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the conservation program report average early career wages of $37,170.

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

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Conservation Degrees Awarded
$43,420 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were about 94 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 program at Indiana University - Bloomington get $5,193 more than the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
119 Conservation Degrees Awarded
26.9% Growth in Graduates

UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 119 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the conservation program earn about $31,369 for their early career.

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

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Conservation Degrees Awarded
$38,989 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #65 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were approximately 40 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent data year. After graduating, conservation degree recipients generally make about $38,989 at the beginning of their careers.

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

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
102 Conservation Degrees Awarded
41.2% Growth in Graduates

GVSU is a fairly large public university located in the town of Allendale. A Best Colleges rank of #342 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means GVSU is a great university overall.

There were about 102 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at GVSU in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, conservation degree recipients typically make about $32,118 in the first five years of their career.

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

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 Conservation Degrees Awarded
38.3% Growth in Graduates

Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 107 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the conservation program make about $30,797 in their early career salary.

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

10
Vincennes University crest
Vincennes University
Vincennes, IN
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
$32,138 Median Starting Salary

Located in the remote town of Vincennes, Vincennes University is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 9th out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were about 29 natural resources conservation students who graduated with this degree at Vincennes University in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, conservation degree recipients usually make an average of $32,138 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in natural resources conservation from Vincennes 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 1,517
Environmental Science 1,288
Natural Resources/Conservation, General 555
Natural Resources Conservation & Research, Other 22

View All Conservation Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Natural Resource Management 417
Wildlife Management 269
Forestry 231
Fisheries Sciences 152
Natural Resources Conservation (Other) 26

View All Conservation Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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