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2023 Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

21 Ranked Colleges
1,362 Degrees Awarded
$19,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 22,254 people earned their degree in natural resources conservation, making the major the 49th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, natural resources conservation graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,963 and had an average of $23,098 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,362 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $43,125 and $24,828 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 101 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $16,002 for Plains States Region Conservation students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Iowa State University

2

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 181 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region conservation students with aid list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,878 for Plains States Region Conservation students with aid per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad 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 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Natural Resources Conservation Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UNL is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 136 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region conservation students with aid list, UNL has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $17,013 for plains states region 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. The low undergrad 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 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Natural Resources Conservation Report

4
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. South Dakota State is located in Brookings, South Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

South Dakota State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State is $18,578 for plains states region conservation students with aid.

The low undergrad 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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at South Dakota State University

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 52 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $18,505 for plains states region conservation students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

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

6

University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 69 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Mizzou also took the #9 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,559 for plains states region conservation students with aid per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Missouri - Columbia

7

University of Minnesota - Crookston did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. University of Minnesota - Crookston is a small school located in Crookston, Minnesota that handed out 17 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region conservation students with aid list, UMN Crookston has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Crookston is $11,593 for plains states region conservation students with aid.

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

8
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

With a ranking of #8, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 64 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region conservation students with aid list, Iowa has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $19,401 for Plains States Region Conservation students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Iowa

9
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Saint Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

St. Cloud State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,581 for Plains States Region Conservation students with aid per year to attend St. Cloud State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Saint Cloud State University

10

University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. This fairly large school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 18 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region conservation students with aid list, UMKC has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,702 for Plains States Region Conservation students with aid per year to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City.

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

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UMKC

11

University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Morris, Minnesota, and it awarded 12 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Morris, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Morris is $10,529 for Plains States Region Conservation students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Morris Natural Resources Conservation Report

12
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Webster University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Webster is a medium-sized school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 37 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Webster, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Webster University is $23,248 for Plains States Region Conservation students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Webster

13
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

With a ranking of #13, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 59 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

KU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend KU is $20,257 for Plains States Region Conservation students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Kansas Natural Resources Conservation Report

14
Bemidji State University crest
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, Minnesota

With a ranking of #14, Bemidji State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Bemidji State University is located in Bemidji, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region conservation students with aid list, Bemidji State University has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,033 for plains states region conservation students with aid per year to attend Bemidji State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Bemidji State University Natural Resources Conservation Report

15

University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. UNOMAHA is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

UNOMAHA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha is $13,914 for plains states region conservation students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Nebraska at Omaha

16
Gustavus Adolphus crest
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, and it awarded 17 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Gustavus Adolphus also took the #16 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $24,696 for plains states region conservation students with aid per year to attend Gustavus Adolphus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad 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 Gustavus Adolphus College Natural Resources Conservation Report

17
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, Iowa

Luther College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Decorah, Iowa, and it awarded 15 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Luther not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Luther College is $25,538 for plains states region conservation students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Luther

18
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

With a ranking of #18, St Olaf College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 33 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Olaf, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St Olaf College is $24,052 for plains states region 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at St. Olaf

19

Upper Iowa University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UIU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fayette, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region conservation students with aid list, UIU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Upper Iowa University is $24,063 for Plains States Region Conservation students with aid.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Upper Iowa University

20
SJU crest
Saint Johns University
Collegeville, Minnesota

Saint Johns University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. SJU is located in Collegeville, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

SJU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Johns University is $25,487 for Plains States Region Conservation students with aid.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at SJU

21
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota

With a ranking of #21, Macalester College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Macalester College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 19 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Macalester did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Macalester is $27,764 for plains states region conservation students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Macalester Natural Resources Conservation Report

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