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2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

29 Ranked Colleges
3,504 Degrees Awarded
$10,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Natural Resources Conservation is the 49th most popular major in the country with 22,254 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, natural resources conservation graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,963 and had an average of $23,098 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 3,504 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,140 and $19,839 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 29 colleges that offered 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

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

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

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools 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 ’s conservation degrees to 604 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,450 for california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Berkeley Natural Resources Conservation Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 269 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,006 for california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Davis Natural Resources Conservation Report

3

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 101 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,037 for California Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad 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 University of California - Los Angeles

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 470 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,568 for california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Natural Resources Conservation Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 56 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,540 for California Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Irvine.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UC Irvine Natural Resources Conservation Report

6
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #6, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 109 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $7,169 for california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 89%.

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

7

California State University - Fullerton came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,590 for california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Cal State Fullerton

7

University of California - San Diego came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 83 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,823 for california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UCSD

9

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 220 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,038 for California 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 undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Natural Resources Conservation Report

10

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. University of California - Riverside is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

UCR also took the #16 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,810 for California Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCR.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 91%.

Full UCR Natural Resources Conservation Report

11

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. CSUMB is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California. It awarded 86 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUMB also took the #19 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUMB is $9,192 for california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at CSUMB

12
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 66 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $12,158 for california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

13

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 21 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,985 for California Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSB.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at CSUSB

14

California State University - Long Beach came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,663 for California Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

15

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 57 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

16
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 177 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, Humboldt State University has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $11,473 for california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Humboldt State University

17

California State University - East Bay landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $9,975 for california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at California State University - East Bay

18
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 73 students in 2020-2021.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,705 for california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFSU.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SFSU Natural Resources Conservation Report

19
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California

Pitzer College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pitzer College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pitzer has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,747 for California Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pitzer.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Pitzer College

20
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Occidental College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Occidental College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Oxy not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Oxy is $14,452 for california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Oxy Natural Resources Conservation Report

21

California State University - Chico ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 39 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $11,754 for california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

22

California State University - San Marcos ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 52 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $9,397 for California Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at CSUSM

23
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SSU is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 23 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

SSU also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $12,803 for california conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sonoma State University.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Sonoma State University Natural Resources Conservation Report

24

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 10 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,173 for California Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Natural Resources Conservation Report

25
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Clara, California. It awarded 46 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

SCU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Santa Clara University is $26,428 for California Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SCU Natural Resources Conservation Report

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