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

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Illinois, there were 516 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,150 and $23,920 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 88 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,267 and $46,814 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 5 colleges that offered 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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 Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 5 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

#1 in overall quality

$61,548 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 17 masters’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UChicago are $61,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of Chicago

#2

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, Illinois

#2 in overall quality

$30,083 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$49,683 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 26 degrees to qualified masters’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Natural Resources Conservation Report

#3

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

#3 in overall quality

$16,757 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$48,823 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Master’s in Illinois 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 23 masters’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Springfield are $16,757, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Illinois at Springfield

#4

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Carbondale, Illinois

#4 in overall quality

$32,928 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 11 masters’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. Average graduate tuition and fees at SIUC are $32,928, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at SIUC

#5

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

$19,760 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. DePaul is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 2 masters’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul University are $19,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at DePaul

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

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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