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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major

1,015 Ranked Colleges
22,254 Degrees Awarded
$25,300 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major

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 “Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major” 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.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major” ranking analyzed 1,015 colleges that offered a degree in natural resources conservation. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in natural resources conservation.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 “Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for conservation students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation

1
Antioch College crest
Antioch College
Yellow Springs, Ohio

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Antioch College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major list. Antioch College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Yellow Springs, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Antioch College

2
Little Big Horn College crest
Little Big Horn College
Crow Agency, Montana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Little Big Horn College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major. This small school is located in Crow Agency, Montana, and it awarded 10 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Little Big Horn College

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major list. ESF is a small public school situated in Syracuse, New York. It awarded 121 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at ESF

4
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Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Warren Wilson College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major list. Warren Wilson is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Swannanoa, North Carolina. It awarded 28 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Warren Wilson

5
Sinte Gleska University crest
Sinte Gleska University
Mission, South Dakota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Sinte Gleska University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major. Located in Mission, South Dakota, this small public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Sinte Gleska University

6
Unity crest
Unity College
Unity, Maine

Unity College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major ranking. Unity College is a small school located in Unity, Maine that handed out 34 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Unity College Natural Resources Conservation Report

7
Antioch University - New England crest
Antioch University - New England
Keene, New Hampshire

Antioch University - New England landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major ranking. Antioch University - New England is a private not-for-profit institution located in Keene, New Hampshire. The school has a small population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Antioch University - New England

8
Northwest Indian College crest
Northwest Indian College
Bellingham, Washington

Northwest Indian College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major ranking. Northwest Indian College is a small school located in Bellingham, Washington that handed out 15 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Northwest Indian College

9
Western crest
Western Colorado University
Gunnison, Colorado

Western Colorado University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major ranking. Western Colorado University is a public institution located in Gunnison, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 62 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Western Colorado University

10

Haskell Indian Nations University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major list. Haskell is a small public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 19 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Haskell Natural Resources Conservation Report

11
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St Mary's College of Maryland
St. Mary's City, Maryland

St Mary’s College of Maryland ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major list. Located in St. Mary’s City, Maryland, this small public school awarded 47 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.

Full St Mary’s College of Maryland Natural Resources Conservation Report

12
Allegheny crest
Allegheny College
Meadville, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #12, Allegheny College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major list. This small school is located in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 48 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 Allegheny College

13
Eckerd crest
Eckerd College
Saint Petersburg, Florida

Eckerd College ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major list. This small school is located in Saint Petersburg, Florida, and it awarded 59 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full Eckerd Natural Resources Conservation Report

14

With a ranking of #14, Vermilion Community College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major list. Ely, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Vermilion Community College

15
Prescot College crest
Prescott College
Prescott, Arizona

Prescott College ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major list. Prescott College is located in Prescott, Arizona and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Prescott College

16
Maritime crest
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Maritime Academy landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major ranking. Maritime is located in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Massachusetts Maritime Academy

17
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

With a ranking of #17, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major list. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 177 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Humboldt State University

18

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major list. This small school is located in Monterey, California, and it awarded 27 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 1 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.

Full Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey Natural Resources Conservation Report

19
Wells crest
Wells College
Aurora, New York

Wells College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major ranking. Located in Aurora, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Wells

20
Ferrum College crest
Ferrum College
Ferrum, Virginia

Ferrum College ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major list. Located in Ferrum, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

Full Ferrum College Natural Resources Conservation Report

21
UVM crest
University of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont

University of Vermont landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major ranking. Burlington, Vermont is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 267 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UVM

22

University of North Carolina at Asheville came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major ranking. Located in Asheville, North Carolina, this small public school awarded 60 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UNCA

23
Aaniiih Nakoda College crest
Aaniiih Nakoda College
Harlem, Montana

Aaniiih Nakoda College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major ranking. Aaniiih Nakoda College is a public institution located in Harlem, Montana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Aaniiih Nakoda College Natural Resources Conservation Report

23
NHSC crest
Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
New Town, North Dakota

With a ranking of #23, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major list. Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College is a public institution located in New Town, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College

25
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California

Pitzer College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major ranking. Pitzer College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Pitzer College

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Catawba crest
Catawba College
Salisbury, North Carolina
27
Goshen crest
Goshen College
Goshen, Indiana
28
Northland crest
Northland College
Ashland, Wisconsin
29
Colorado College crest
Colorado College
Colorado Springs, Colorado
30
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California
31
Brevard College crest
Brevard College
Brevard, North Carolina
32
Colby crest
Colby College
Waterville, Maine
33
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Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington
34
Saint Michael's crest
Saint Michael's College
Colchester, Vermont
35
36
37
Washington College crest
Washington College
Chestertown, Maryland
38
Ozarks crest
University of the Ozarks
Clarksville, Arkansas
39
Reed crest
Reed College
Portland, Oregon
40
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont
41
Scripps crest
Scripps College
Claremont, California
42
43
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Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado
44
Willamette crest
Willamette University
Salem, Oregon
45
Flagler St. Augustine crest
Flagler College - St Augustine
Saint Augustine, Florida
46
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
47
Juniata crest
Juniata College
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
48
49
New College crest
New College of Florida
Sarasota, Florida
50
Centre College of Kentucky crest
Centre College
Danville, Kentucky

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA
52 Bates College Lewiston, ME
53 Colby - Sawyer College New London, NH
54 SUNY Maritime College Throggs Neck, NY
55 Hiram College Hiram, OH
56 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
57 Clark University Worcester, MA
58 Ursinus College Collegeville, PA
59 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA
60 SIT Graduate Institute Brattleboro, VT
60 Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA
60 University of Hawaii at Hilo Hilo, HI
60 Randolph College Lynchburg, VA
64 Alma College Alma, MI
65 California State University - Monterey Bay Seaside, CA
Rank College Location
66 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN
67 Finger Lakes Community College Canandaigua, NY
68 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
69 Denison University Granville, OH
70 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
71 Knox College Galesburg, IL
72 Dabney S Lancaster Community College Clifton Forge, VA
73 Bridgewater College Bridgewater, VA
74 Roanoke College Salem, VA
75 Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College Baraga, MI
75 Sitting Bull College Fort Yates, ND
77 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
78 University of Minnesota - Crookston Crookston, MN
79 Dine College Tsaile, AZ
80 Southwestern University Georgetown, TX
81 Hampshire College Amherst, MA
82 Northern Marianas College Saipan, MP
83 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
84 Eureka College Eureka, IL
85 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
86 Yale University New Haven, CT
87 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
88 Chaminade University of Honolulu Honolulu, HI
89 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
90 Davidson College Davidson, NC
Rank College Location
91 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
92 The College of Idaho Caldwell, ID
93 Stockton University Galloway, NJ
94 The Evergreen State College Olympia, WA
95 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay, WI
96 College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN
97 Instituto Tecnologico de Puerto Rico-Recinto de Manati Manati, PR
98 Luther College Decorah, IA
99 Austin College Sherman, TX
100 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
101 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
102 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC
103 The University of Montana Missoula, MT
104 Hanover College Hanover, IN
105 Hollins University Roanoke, VA
106 Southern Oregon University Ashland, OR
107 Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Mansfield, PA
108 Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI
109 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME
110 Columbia College Sonora, CA
111 Haverford College Haverford, PA
112 University of Idaho Moscow, ID
113 Washington & Jefferson College Washington, PA
114 Hendrix College Conway, AR
115 Bennington College Bennington, VT
Rank College Location
116 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
117 Franklin Pierce University Rindge, NH
118 Carleton College Northfield, MN
119 University of Portland Portland, OR
120 Linfield University - McMinnville Campus McMinnville, OR
121 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA
122 Wesleyan University Middletown, CT
123 Beloit College Beloit, WI
124 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
125 University of Alaska Southeast Juneau, AK
126 Cottey College Nevada, MO
127 Earlham College Richmond, IN
128 Rollins College Winter Park, FL
129 Rocky Mountain College Billings, MT
129 Olivet College Olivet, MI
131 Emory and Henry College Emory, VA
132 Westfield State University Westfield, MA
133 Stone Child College Box Elder, MT
133 Maryville College Maryville, TN
133 Navajo Technical University Crownpoint, NM
136 Duke University Durham, NC
137 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
138 Union College New York Schenectady, NY
139 Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA
140 Birmingham Southern College Birmingham, AL
Rank College Location
141 Keene State College Keene, NH
142 Barnard College New York, NY
143 University of Illinois at Springfield Springfield, IL
144 Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN
145 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
146 Adrian College Adrian, MI
147 Guilford College Greensboro, NC
148 Westminster College Pennsylvania New Wilmington, PA
149 Pamlico Community College Grantsboro, NC
150 Rhodes College Memphis, TN
151 Young Harris College Young Harris, GA
152 Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN
153 Westminster College Utah Salt Lake City, UT

Notes and References

References

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