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

52 Ranked Colleges
2,180 Degrees Awarded
$9,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region 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 the Great Lakes region, there were 2,998 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,390 and $26,723 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,180 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 52 colleges that offered a degree in natural resources conservation. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great natural resources conservation programs and cost less that 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 52 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $2,800 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UChicago.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 University of Chicago

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 175 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $6,860 for Great Lakes Region 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 95%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UW - Madison

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 130 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,887 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend U-M.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Natural Resources Conservation Report

#4

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 56 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $6,192 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at IU Bloomington

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 131 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Ohio State

#6

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #6, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $5,879 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

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 low 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%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Purdue University - Main Campus

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. 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 #8 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UIUC

#15 in overall quality

Michigan Technological University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Houghton, Michigan, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan Tech also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Michigan Tech is $9,049 for great lakes region 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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan Technological University Natural Resources Conservation Report

#9

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - River Falls has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $10,124 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Natural Resources Conservation Report

#10

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Green Bay, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $11,641 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,315 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend IUPUI.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at IUPUI

#12

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stout ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a public institution located in Menomonie, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stout is $10,778 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Wisconsin - Stout

#13

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Oakland is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 27 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $7,751 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Oakland University

#14

Denison University

Granville, Ohio

With a ranking of #14, Denison University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Granville, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, Denison has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,909 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Denison.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 Denison University

#15

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $12,156 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#16

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school awarded 63 degrees to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $12,459 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full GVSU Natural Resources Conservation Report

#17

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Springfield is $8,323 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Natural Resources Conservation Report

#18

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ball State is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Ball State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $10,487 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Ball State University Natural Resources Conservation Report

#19

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 34 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, NIU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $15,861 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full NIU Natural Resources Conservation Report

University of Michigan - Dearborn ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UM Dearborn is $8,057 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive 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 University of Michigan - Dearborn

#21

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Lake Superior State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lake Superior State University is located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Lake Superior State University is $9,640 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Lake Superior State University

#22

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Knox is a private not-for-profit institution located in Galesburg, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Knox also took the #18 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Knox is $19,186 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Knox College

With a ranking of #23, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $13,114 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UW Oshkosh

#24

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Oberlin is located in Oberlin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oberlin, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,560 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oberlin.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Full Oberlin Natural Resources Conservation Report

University of Michigan - Flint came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Flint, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UM Flint is $9,512 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UM Flint

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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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