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2023 Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation (Income $30-$48k)

265 Ranked Colleges
22,254 Degrees Awarded
$6,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 22,254 people earned their degree in natural resources conservation, making the major the 49th most popular in the United States. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 265 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the natural resources conservation program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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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 For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation (Income $30-$48k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 174 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $-927 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Duke University Natural Resources Conservation Report

2
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 150 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Yale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Yale University is $3,083 for Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Yale University

3
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 243 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Harvard is $1,396 for Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Harvard University Natural Resources Conservation Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 83 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia also took the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $4,699 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Columbia University in the City of New York

5
Colby crest
Colby College
Waterville, Maine

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colby College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Colby is a small school located in Waterville, Maine that handed out 46 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Colby did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” list. It costs about $2,361 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Colby College.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Colby College

6

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 310 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $5,670 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $9,999 for Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Natural Resources Conservation Report

8
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Brown also took the #7 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,842 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brown.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Brown Natural Resources Conservation Report

9

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 154 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $5,729 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Natural Resources Conservation Report

10
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

With a ranking of #10, Dartmouth College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 40 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

Dartmouth also took the #25 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,718 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dartmouth College.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Dartmouth College

11

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 444 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” list. It costs about $4,788 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW - Madison Natural Resources Conservation Report

12
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 119 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,133 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cornell.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cornell Natural Resources Conservation Report

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 213 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $6,399 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

14

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington also claimed a top spot on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $7,061 for Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Indiana University - Bloomington

15
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Tufts University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Medford, Massachusetts. It awarded 51 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Tufts is also in the top of our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Tufts is $7,987 for Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 92%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Tufts

16

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 181 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $8,609 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Natural Resources Conservation Report

17
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.

Purdue also claimed a top spot on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $5,853 for Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue Natural Resources Conservation Report

18
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 155 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Florida State excels when it comes to conservation quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $7,349 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Florida State

19

University of California - Davis ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 269 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” list. It costs about $11,598 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

19
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 208 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina State University is $9,448 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at North Carolina State University

21

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 101 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,891 for Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

22
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

With a ranking of #22, Emory University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 37 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Emory, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emory University is $8,976 for Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Emory University

23
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,857 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Florida.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Florida

24

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 212 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe also claimed a top spot on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools” list. It costs about $10,628 for Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Arizona State University - Tempe.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Arizona State University - Tempe

25
Maritime crest
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Maritime Academy ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a small school located in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts that handed out 38 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,554 for conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Maritime Natural Resources Conservation Report

Rest of the Best 40 in Best Value Conservation Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 40 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California
27
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Queens College
Queens, New York
28
29
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
30
31
32
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
33
34
35
36
37
38
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia
39
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
40

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