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2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region

28 Ranked Colleges
1,021 Degrees Awarded
$18,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States 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 Plains States 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 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” 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.

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.

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 Plains States Region” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region

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

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

#1

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, South Dakota State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,252 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students per year to attend South Dakota State University.

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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at South Dakota State

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Crookston. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. UMN Crookston is located in Crookston, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Crookston, the school also landed the #13 spot 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.

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

#3

Valley City State University

Valley City, North Dakota
#19 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Valley City State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Valley City, North Dakota, this small public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students 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.

Full Valley City State University Natural Resources Conservation Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Minnesota State Mankato also took the #11 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State Mankato is $16,221 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Minnesota State Mankato

#5

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Cloud State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 17 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Cloud State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Cloud State University is $14,267 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students.

Full St. Cloud State University Natural Resources Conservation Report

With a ranking of #6, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 89 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $15,496 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Iowa State University

University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #7. UMN Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

UMN Duluth also took the #16 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $17,067 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Duluth Natural Resources Conservation Report

With a ranking of #8, University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. UMN Morris is located in Morris, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

UMN Morris not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Morris is $11,412 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

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 UMN Morris Natural Resources Conservation Report

#9

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

With a ranking of #9, Southeast Missouri State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Southeast Missouri State University is a fairly large public school situated in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It awarded 6 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southeast Missouri State University is $12,774 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Southeast Missouri State University

With a ranking of #10, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. UNOMAHA is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

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

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UNOMAHA

University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UNL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,208 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students per year to attend UNL.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, 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 85%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#12

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 124 degrees to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $17,740 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UMN Twin Cities

#13

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Kansas State University is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 23 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State also took the #22 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,285 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students per year to attend K -State.

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

Full Kansas State University Natural Resources Conservation Report

#14

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

With a ranking of #14, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school awarded 47 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s conservation students in 2019-2020.

KU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for KU is $18,918 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at KU

#15

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. This fairly large school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students list, UMKC has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,643 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students per year to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Missouri - Kansas City

University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 16 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $16,001 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation 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%. 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 Mizzou

#17

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $19,145 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, 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 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of Iowa

#18

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa

Upper Iowa University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #18. This small school is located in Fayette, Iowa, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UIU is $21,624 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

Full UIU Natural Resources Conservation Report

#19

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Bethel University Minnesota ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region 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. It costs about $25,191 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students per year to attend Bethel University Minnesota.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 Bethel University Minnesota

#20

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa

University of Dubuque did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Dubuque is $26,748 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UD

#21

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa

Drake University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Drake University is a small school located in Des Moines, Iowa that handed out 27 bachelors’s conservation 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 per year to attend Drake.

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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Drake

#22

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

Luther College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Luther College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decorah, Iowa. It awarded 13 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Luther also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Luther College is $23,620 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

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%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Luther

#23

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, Minnesota

With a ranking of #23, Saint Johns University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Saint Johns University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Collegeville, Minnesota. It awarded 12 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

SJU also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $24,271 for plains states region bachelor’s degree conservation students per year to attend Saint Johns University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at SJU

#24

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Gustavus Adolphus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,093 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students per year to attend Gustavus Adolphus College.

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 full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Gustavus Adolphus College

#25

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota

With a ranking of #25, University of St Thomas Minnesota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UST MN, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of St Thomas Minnesota is $29,155 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Conservation students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of St Thomas 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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