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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation (With Aid)

334 Ranked Colleges
17,043 Degrees Awarded
$11,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 17,043 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 334 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in natural resources conservation. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent natural resources conservation programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the natural resources conservation program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 For Those Getting Aid”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation (With Aid)

#1

Hunter College

New York, New York

Out of the 334 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Hunter College landed the #1 spot on the list. Hunter is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 15 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,490 for bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid per year to attend Hunter College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Hunter

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 141 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,352 for Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

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

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#3

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Yale is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid list, Yale has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Yale is $17,549 for Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

The low 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 Yale

Out of the 334 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 202 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW Seattle also did well on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $13,297 for Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UW Seattle

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school awarded 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,514 for bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.

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%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UT Rio Grande Valley

#6

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Charles Town, West Virginia, and it awarded 311 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, American Military University is in the top on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend American Public University System is $10,222 for bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at American Military University

#7

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Maritime Academy ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Maritime is located in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid list, Maritime has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Maritime is $20,485 for bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid.

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

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Massachusetts Maritime Academy

#8

Queens College

Queens, New York

With a ranking of #8, Queens College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend QC is $3,067 for Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

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 more about Natural Resources Conservation at Queens College

#9

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 75 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid.

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

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UCLA

#10

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

Harvard University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Harvard is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 14 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,386 for Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid per year to attend Harvard.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Harvard

#11

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $6,302 for Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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 97%.

Full University of Florida Natural Resources Conservation Report

#12

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 506 degrees to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $15,329 for Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid per year to attend UC 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.

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

#13

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Pensacola, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UWF is $7,406 for Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UWF

#14

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCR is also in the top of our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,871 for bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 California - Riverside Natural Resources Conservation Report

#15

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks, Alaska
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Alaska Fairbanks ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Alaska Fairbanks is located in Fairbanks, Alaska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UAF is $10,333 for Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

Full University of Alaska Fairbanks Natural Resources Conservation Report

With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 175 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Madison also did well on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,708 for Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 131 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,355 for bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid per year to attend USF Tampa.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full USF Tampa Natural Resources Conservation Report

#18

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 161 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Florida State is in the top on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $9,789 for Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid per year to attend Florida State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida State University Natural Resources Conservation Report

#19

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 129 students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, NC State also did well on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $16,458 for bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid per year to attend NC State.

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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full NC State Natural Resources Conservation Report

University of California - Irvine landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UC Irvine also did well on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $14,783 for Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Irvine Natural Resources Conservation Report

#21

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Diego State University 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.

The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,788 for bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at San Diego State University

#22

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,253 for bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

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 more about Natural Resources Conservation at Indiana University - Bloomington

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $9,622 for Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 89%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at California State University - Long Beach

#24

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

With a ranking of #24, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $7,342 for bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid.

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

University of Phoenix - Arizona landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large private for-profit school awarded 150 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UOPX - Arizona is $12,944 for Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UOPX - Arizona

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
#28

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#29

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia
#34

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
#35

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia
#36

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#37

University of Minnesota - Crookston

Crookston, Minnesota
#38

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York
#39

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#40

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#42

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#43

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#45

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida
#46

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#47

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#48

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#49

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#50

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ

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.

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