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

12 Ranked Colleges
419 Degrees Awarded
$15,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Illinois, there were 516 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,150 and $23,920 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 419 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer a degree in natural resources conservation. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality natural resources conservation programs that also have a lower cost than 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Natural Resources Conservation Schools

The conservation school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

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

Top 12 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 21 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,712 for illinois 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 100%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UChicago

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 67 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UIUC

#3

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 34 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at NIU

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Springfield is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

UIS also took the #10 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Springfield is $9,771 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UIS

#5

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Augustana College landed the #5 spot on the list. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $20,355 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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 85%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Augustana College

#11 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,658 for illinois bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUC.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at SIUC

#7

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Knox College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, Knox has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,828 for illinois bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Knox College.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Knox College Natural Resources Conservation Report

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also took the #12 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for illinois bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Northeastern Illinois University

#9

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lake Forest is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 16 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, Lake Forest has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,192 for illinois bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lake Forest.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Full Lake Forest College Natural Resources Conservation Report

#10

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois Wesleyan is located in Bloomington, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Illinois Wesleyan also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $18,570 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Illinois Wesleyan Natural Resources Conservation Report

#11

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Chicago is $29,440 for illinois bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Loyola Chicago Natural Resources Conservation Report

#12

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, DePaul has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $26,173 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend DePaul.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Full DePaul University Natural Resources Conservation Report

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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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