Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Natural Resources Conservation

Find Schools Near

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

28 Ranked Colleges
1,021 Degrees Awarded
$12,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Natural Resources Conservation is the 50th most popular major in the country with 22,202 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Plains States region, there were 1,352 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,043 and $33,930 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,021 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 28 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the natural resources conservation program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Plains States 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also took the #1 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $6,248 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend WUSTL.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Washington University in St Louis

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Morris. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Morris, Minnesota, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Morris did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $3,435 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMN Morris.

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 UMN Morris Natural Resources Conservation Report

#3

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 124 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $8,418 for plains states region 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 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 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Crookston landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Crookston, Minnesota, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Crookston not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMN Crookston is $7,948 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UMN Crookston

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 89 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,843 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Iowa State University.

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

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Iowa State University

University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $7,992 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UMN Duluth

#7

Valley City State University

Valley City, North Dakota
#19 in overall quality

Valley City State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Valley City State University is a public institution located in Valley City, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Valley City State University also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $8,434 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Valley City State University.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Valley City State University

#8

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota

With a ranking of #8, Macalester College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Macalester also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Macalester College is $14,047 for plains states 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 90%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Macalester College Natural Resources Conservation Report

#9

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. St. Olaf is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 23 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Olaf, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St. Olaf is $12,276 for plains states 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 low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Full St Olaf College Natural Resources Conservation Report

#10

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. St. Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, St. Cloud State University has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,274 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend St. Cloud State University.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Saint Cloud State University

University of Nebraska at Omaha came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a fairly large school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 22 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNOMAHA, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,460 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UNOMAHA

Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato also took the #11 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State Mankato is $11,781 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low 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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Minnesota State University - Mankato

University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNL is a large school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 79 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNL, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $13,508 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, 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 students.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UNL

University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,595 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of Missouri - Columbia

#15

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, Minnesota

With a ranking of #15, Saint Johns University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Saint Johns University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Collegeville, Minnesota. It awarded 12 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

SJU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SJU is $15,628 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full SJU Natural Resources Conservation Report

#16

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, South Dakota State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. South Dakota State is a public institution located in Brookings, South Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $16,273 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend South Dakota State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at South Dakota State

#17

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

With a ranking of #17, Southeast Missouri State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southeast Missouri State University is $10,217 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Southeast Missouri State University

#18

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Gustavus Adolphus College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Peter, Minnesota. It awarded 24 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Gustavus Adolphus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Gustavus Adolphus College is $11,669 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Gustavus Adolphus

#19

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. University of Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $15,073 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Iowa

#20

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UMKC also took the #24 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Kansas City is $12,553 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of Missouri - Kansas City

#21

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Manhattan, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

K -State also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $15,089 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Kansas State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at K -State

#22

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at KU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kansas is $15,380 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at KU

#23

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

Luther College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Luther is a small school located in Decorah, Iowa that handed out 13 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Luther, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Luther is $17,630 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Luther College

#24

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Bethel University Minnesota came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

Bethel University Minnesota not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,525 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bethel University Minnesota.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 Bethel University Minnesota

#25

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa

Upper Iowa University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Fayette, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UIU is $17,928 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Upper Iowa University

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Environment / Natural Resources Schools

Find Schools Near You