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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation in the Great Lakes Region

53 Ranked Colleges
2,180 Degrees Awarded
$15,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.

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 Great Lakes region, there were 2,998 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,390 and $26,723 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,180 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 53 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #1 spot on the list. UW - River Falls is a public institution located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls also took the #12 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

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%.

Full UW - River Falls Natural Resources Conservation Report

#2

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Menomonie, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stout, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stout is $15,839 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UW - Stout

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Green Bay, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students list, UW - Green Bay has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

Full UW - Whitewater Natural Resources Conservation Report

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

NIU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at NIU

#6

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Lake Superior State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Sault Ste Marie, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lake Superior State University is $12,398 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students.

Full Lake Superior State University Natural Resources Conservation Report

#7

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WMU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Michigan University is $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Western Michigan University

#8

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school handed out 63 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students per year to attend GVSU.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Grand Valley State University

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 22 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UW Oshkosh

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,945 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#11

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UWM is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 79 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students per year to attend UWM.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UWM

#12

Purdue University Global

Indianapolis, Indiana

Purdue University Global came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

Full Purdue University Global Natural Resources Conservation Report

#13

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UIS is $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

Full UIS Natural Resources Conservation Report

#14

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eastern Michigan University is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan University is $15,924 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Eastern Michigan University

#15

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan

Northern Michigan University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northern Michigan University is a medium-sized school located in Marquette, Michigan that handed out 60 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Michigan University is $15,453 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Northern Michigan University

#16

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Central Michigan University is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

Full Central Michigan University Natural Resources Conservation Report

#17

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio

University of Toledo ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Toledo, Ohio, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,630 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students per year to attend University of Toledo.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Toledo

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Northeastern Illinois University

#19

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

Full Oakland University Natural Resources Conservation Report

#20

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 31 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students list, Purdue has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Purdue

#21

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Cleveland State University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 32 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,278 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students per year to attend Cleveland State University.

Full Cleveland State University Natural Resources Conservation Report

#22

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Ball State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $15,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Ball State

With a ranking of #23, University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UM Dearborn is located in Dearborn, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn is $11,473 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

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%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Michigan - Dearborn

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s conservation degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $21,843 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

With a ranking of #25, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 131 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree conservation students list, Ohio State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,616 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students per year to attend Ohio State.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Ohio State University - Main Campus

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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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