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2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

28 Ranked Colleges
1,021 Degrees Awarded
$18,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that 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 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

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. 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 Getting Aid

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Crookston. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. This small school is located in Crookston, Minnesota, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid list, UMN Crookston has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Crookston is $10,952 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Minnesota - Crookston

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Iowa State University 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.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $15,496 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Iowa State 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 Getting Aid list. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 124 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $17,740 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid.

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

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#4

Valley City State University

Valley City, North Dakota
#19 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Valley City State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Valley City, North Dakota, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid list, Valley City State University has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Valley City State University is $11,981 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Valley City State University

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UNOMAHA also took the #15 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNOMAHA is $14,040 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UNOMAHA

University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Morris, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 23 students 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Morris is $11,412 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Minnesota - Morris

#7

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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. This fairly large school is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Cloud State University also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $14,267 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid per year to attend Saint Cloud State University.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at St. Cloud State University

Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 7 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $16,221 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Minnesota State Mankato

University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Lincoln, Nebraska is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 79 students in 2019-2020.

UNL also took the #6 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $17,208 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln Natural Resources Conservation Report

#10

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#10 in overall quality

South Dakota State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. South Dakota State is a fairly large public school situated in Brookings, South Dakota. It awarded 8 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Dakota State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State is $19,252 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at South Dakota State

#11

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 68 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid list, Iowa has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,145 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid per year to attend University of Iowa.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of Iowa

#12

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southeast Missouri State University is $12,774 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

Full Southeast Missouri State University Natural Resources Conservation Report

#13

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

UMKC also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $14,643 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid per year to attend UMKC.

Full UMKC Natural Resources Conservation Report

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 36 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #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 $17,067 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UMN Duluth

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid list, Mizzou has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,001 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid per year to attend Mizzou.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Full Mizzou Natural Resources Conservation Report

#16

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Kansas State University is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 23 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,285 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid per year to attend Kansas State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Kansas State University

#17

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $26,869 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

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

#18

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid list, KU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $18,918 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at KU

#19

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, Minnesota

With a ranking of #19, Saint Johns University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Collegeville, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

SJU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $24,271 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid per year to attend Saint Johns University.

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%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Saint Johns University

#20

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota

With a ranking of #20, Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Peter, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Gustavus Adolphus also took the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,093 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid per year to attend Gustavus Adolphus.

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

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Gustavus Adolphus College

#21

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

Luther College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Decorah, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

Luther did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $23,620 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid per year to attend Luther College.

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%.

Full Luther Natural Resources Conservation Report

#22

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. St. Olaf is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northfield, Minnesota. It awarded 23 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid list, St. Olaf has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St Olaf College is $23,543 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at St Olaf College

#23

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa

With a ranking of #23, Upper Iowa University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UIU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fayette, Iowa. It awarded 23 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Upper Iowa University is $21,624 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Upper Iowa University

#24

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa

Drake University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Drake University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Drake, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $29,432 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students with aid per year to attend Drake University.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Drake

#25

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Bethel University Minnesota ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Bethel University Minnesota is a small school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 3 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Bethel University Minnesota did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bethel University Minnesota is $25,191 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Bethel University Minnesota

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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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