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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation (Income $0-$30k) in California

26 Ranked Colleges
2,831 Degrees Awarded
$11,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 22,202 people earned their degree in natural resources conservation, making the major the 50th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, natural resources conservation graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,654 and had an average of $25,969 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 3,508 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,900 and $23,509 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,831 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer a degree in natural resources conservation. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent natural resources conservation programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the natural resources conservation program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Natural Resources Conservation Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation (Income $0-$30k) in California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 506 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of California - Berkeley

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 75 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $8,553 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full UCLA Natural Resources Conservation Report

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Irvine Natural Resources Conservation Report

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Riverside landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of California - Riverside

#5

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 98 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SDSU.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at San Diego State University

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 272 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 UC Davis Natural Resources Conservation Report

#7

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 358 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

UCSB also took the #7 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,316 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of California - Santa Barbara

California State University - Long Beach landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California State University - Long Beach Natural Resources Conservation Report

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 66 students in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $9,280 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - San Diego Natural Resources Conservation Report

#10

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

CSUSB also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $5,077 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at California State University - San Bernardino

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at California State University - Sacramento

#12

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 61 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $10,940 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at San Jose State University

#13

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 246 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #15 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,872 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of California - Santa Cruz

#14

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California

Occidental College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Occidental College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Oxy did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Occidental College is $13,146 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Occidental College Natural Resources Conservation Report

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. CSUMB is located in Seaside, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

CSUMB also took the #21 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $7,688 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUMB Natural Resources Conservation Report

With a ranking of #16, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $8,036 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at California State University - East Bay

#17

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 55 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,668 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USC.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at USC

#18

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $11,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at San Francisco State University

#19

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 43 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, SSU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SSU is $12,263 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SSU Natural Resources Conservation Report

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 26 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $10,260 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at California State University - Chico

#21

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 153 students in 2019-2020.

Humboldt State University also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $11,263 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Humboldt State University

#22

University of Redlands

Redlands, California

University of Redlands came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Redlands, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

University of Redlands did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $21,763 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Redlands.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Redlands

#23

University of San Diego

San Diego, California

University of San Diego landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

USD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for USD is $22,263 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at USD

#24

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. This medium-sized school is located in Santa Clara, California, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

SCU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SCU is $22,356 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Santa Clara University Natural Resources Conservation Report

The University of Arizona Global Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. The University of Arizona Global Campus is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UAGC is $20,283 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UAGC

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Lynn Betts.

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