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2023 Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation in the Plains States Region

21 Ranked Colleges
1,362 Degrees Awarded
$19,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Conservation Schools 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 in the Plains States Region” ranking.

Natural Resources Conservation is the 49th most popular major in the country with 22,254 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in natural resources conservation. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great natural resources conservation programs and 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region

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

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation in the Plains States Region

1
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Webster University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 37 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

Webster also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $23,248 for plains states region conservation students per year to attend Webster University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Webster Natural Resources Conservation Report

2
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 #2 on our 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region list. This fairly large school is located in Brookings, South Dakota, and it awarded 20 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

South Dakota State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State University is $18,578 for Plains States Region Conservation students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full South Dakota State University Natural Resources Conservation Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,505 for plains states region conservation students per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

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 UMN Duluth

4

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 101 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region conservation students list, Iowa State has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $16,002 for Plains States Region Conservation students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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

5
Bemidji State University crest
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, Minnesota

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Bemidji State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Bemidji, Minnesota, and it awarded 21 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Bemidji State University also took the #18 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,033 for plains states region conservation students per year to attend Bemidji State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Bemidji State University

6

University of Minnesota - Crookston did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #6. University of Minnesota - Crookston is a small school located in Crookston, Minnesota that handed out 17 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Crookston did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $11,593 for Plains States Region Conservation students per year to attend UMN Crookston.

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

7
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 11 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Cloud State University, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Cloud State University is $14,581 for plains states region conservation students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 St. Cloud State University Natural Resources Conservation Report

8

University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this large public school handed out 136 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

UNL also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $17,013 for Plains States Region Conservation students.

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%. 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 more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

9

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 181 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #1 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,878 for Plains States Region Conservation students per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

10

University of Minnesota - Morris came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Minnesota - Morris is a small public school situated in Morris, Minnesota. It awarded 12 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Morris also took the #19 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Morris is $10,529 for plains states region conservation students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

11
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Kansas is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at KU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend KU is $20,257 for Plains States Region Conservation students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Kansas

12

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #12. University of Missouri - Columbia is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 69 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Mizzou also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,559 for plains states region conservation students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Full Mizzou Natural Resources Conservation Report

13
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 64 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $19,401 for plains states region conservation students.

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

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Iowa

14

University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region list. This fairly large school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 18 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UMKC also took the #13 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $15,702 for plains states region conservation students.

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

15

University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region list. University of Nebraska at Omaha 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 also took the #20 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNOMAHA is $13,914 for plains states region conservation students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UNOMAHA

16

With a ranking of #16, Upper Iowa University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Fayette, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

UIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Upper Iowa University is $24,063 for plains states region conservation students.

Full Upper Iowa University Natural Resources Conservation Report

17
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, Iowa

Luther College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Decorah, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region conservation students list, Luther has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Luther is $25,538 for Plains States Region Conservation students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Luther

18
SJU crest
Saint Johns University
Collegeville, Minnesota

Saint Johns University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. SJU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Collegeville, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SJU also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend SJU is $25,487 for plains states region conservation students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at SJU

19
Gustavus Adolphus crest
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Peter, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gustavus Adolphus, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Gustavus Adolphus is $24,696 for Plains States Region Conservation students.

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

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Gustavus Adolphus College

20
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees 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 is $24,052 for plains states region conservation students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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

21
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Macalester College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region list. Macalester is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 19 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region conservation students list, Macalester has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Macalester is $27,764 for plains states region conservation students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, 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 90%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Macalester Natural Resources Conservation Report

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