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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation (Income $30-$48k) in California

26 Ranked Colleges
2,831 Degrees Awarded
$12,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 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 $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 26 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.

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 California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation (Income $30-$48k) 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 $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 506 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $9,130 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 students.

Full UC Berkeley Natural Resources Conservation Report

#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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 75 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 $30-$48k 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 University of California - Los Angeles is $9,254 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Riverside landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 47 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,151 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCR.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full UCR Natural Resources Conservation Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. 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 UC Irvine is $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #5 spot on the list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 272 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $10,769 for california bachelor’s degree 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 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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UC Davis

#6

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 358 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of California - Santa Barbara

#7

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,594 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at SDSU

California State University - Long Beach came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full CSULB Natural Resources Conservation Report

University of California - San Diego landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 66 degrees to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,974 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

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

#10

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 25 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUSB has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,869 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUSB.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#11

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #11, Occidental College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oxy is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 15 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, Oxy has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oxy is $17,662 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Oxy

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Sac State also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $7,823 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#13

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $11,752 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at San Jose State

#14

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

With a ranking of #14, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $11,793 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Natural Resources Conservation Report

#15

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #15, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full University of Southern California Natural Resources Conservation Report

California State University - East Bay landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 23 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,891 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Cal State East Bay

California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Monterey Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California. It awarded 72 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUMB also took the #21 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUMB is $9,567 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#18

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 52 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

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 SFSU is $12,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at SFSU

#19

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

With a ranking of #19, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 43 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, SSU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sonoma State University is $13,248 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Sonoma State University Natural Resources Conservation Report

California State University - Chico came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s conservation students 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 $11,576 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Chico State

#21

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Humboldt State University is a public institution located in Arcata, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 153 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Humboldt State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $12,775 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Humboldt State University

#22

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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Santa Clara, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

SCU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,949 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Santa Clara University.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Santa Clara University

#23

University of San Diego

San Diego, California

University of San Diego came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, USD has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USD is $23,224 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of San Diego

#24

University of Redlands

Redlands, California

University of Redlands ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Redlands is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Redlands, California. It awarded 44 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Redlands not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $22,240 for california bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Redlands.

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%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of Redlands

The University of Arizona Global Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UAGC is a private for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,998 for California Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UAGC.

Full UAGC 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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