2026 Best Value Natural Resources Conservation Schools in Illinois
[Natural Resources Conservation](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/natural-resources-conservation/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 34 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value natural resources conservation schools.
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2026 Best Value Natural Resources Conservation Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in natural resources conservation, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Natural Resources Conservation Schools
Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Springfield, our #1 best value for natural resources conservation in Illinois. Set in the city of Springfield, University Of Illinois At Springfield is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,557 in tuition and fees, compared with $20,139 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,925 to complete the natural resources conservation program here. Soon after graduation, natural resources conservation degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Springfield generally make around $57,079. Set against $24,925 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Students looking for strong value in natural resources conservation will find it at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, which ranked #2. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville. Students from in state pay about $12,092 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for natural resources conservation graduates is $23,917. Early-career natural resources conservation graduates make about $54,302. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville admits about 98% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in natural resources conservation will find it at Northern Illinois University, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,060. Typical student debt for natural resources conservation graduates is $26,625. Soon after graduation, natural resources conservation degree recipients from Northern Illinois University generally make around $36,409. That is a strong return on a $26,625 median debt. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value natural resources conservation schools. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,267, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Typical student debt for natural resources conservation graduates is $21,000. Natural Resources Conservation graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $31,369 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Chicago came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value natural resources conservation schools. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $69,324. Natural Resources Conservation graduates carry a median of $15,854 in student loans. Natural Resources Conservation graduates of University Of Chicago earn a median of $81,002 early in their careers. Set against $15,854 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Chicago admits about 4% of applicants.
Illinois State University placed #6 among the best values for natural resources conservation. Illinois State University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Normal. In-state tuition and fees average $14,410, compared with $26,058 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for natural resources conservation graduates is $21,896. Soon after graduation, natural resources conservation degree recipients from Illinois State University generally make around $49,660. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Illinois State University admits about 88% of applicants.
Northwestern University landed the #7 spot for natural resources conservation value this year. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,322. Typical student debt for natural resources conservation graduates is $16,616. Early-career natural resources conservation graduates make about $78,551. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 8%.
Lake Forest College came in at #8 for value in natural resources conservation this year. Located in the suburb of Lake Forest, Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $56,402. Students borrow a median of $26,661 to complete the natural resources conservation program here. Soon after graduation, natural resources conservation degree recipients from Lake Forest College generally make around $26,998. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 57% of applicants are accepted.
Depaul University landed the #9 spot for natural resources conservation value this year. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $45,405. Students borrow a median of $24,750 to complete the natural resources conservation program here. Natural Resources Conservation graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $26,381 early in their careers. Set against $24,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Depaul University admits about 76% of applicants.
Loyola University Chicago earned the #10 position for value in natural resources conservation this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,710. Natural Resources Conservation graduates carry a median of $24,042 in student loans. Soon after graduation, natural resources conservation degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago generally make around $30,797. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Loyola University Chicago admits about 82% of applicants.
More Natural Resources Conservation Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 34 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
