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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation in California

100 Ranked Colleges
3,504 Degrees Awarded
$34,400 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California” ranking.

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.

Across California, there were 3,504 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,140 and $19,839 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California” ranking analyzed 100 colleges that offered a degree in natural resources conservation. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their natural resources conservation program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 “Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Natural Resources Conservation in California

1
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Out of the 100 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Humboldt State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 177 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

Full Humboldt State University Natural Resources Conservation Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California list. Middlebury Institute is a private not-for-profit institution located in Monterey, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

3
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pitzer College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California list. Pitzer College is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. 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

4
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Occidental College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad 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 Occidental College

5

Out of the 100 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #5 spot on the list. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 470 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 91%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at UCSB

6
Scripps crest
Scripps College
Claremont, California

Scripps College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California ranking. Scripps College is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 17 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 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 Scripps College

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 604 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of California - Berkeley

8

California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California list. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 86 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at CSUMB

9

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 220 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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.

Full UC Santa Cruz Natural Resources Conservation Report

10
Columbia Junior College crest
Columbia College
Sonora, California

Columbia College ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California list. Located in Sonora, California, this small public school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Columbia College

11

California State University - Channel Islands did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California ranking, coming in at #11. Camarillo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at CSUCI

12

University of California - Davis landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California ranking. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 269 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 93%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at UC Davis

13
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #13, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California list. USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 66 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at USFCA

14
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #14, Claremont McKenna College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California list. Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Claremont McKenna College

15
University of Redlands crest
University of Redlands
Redlands, California

University of Redlands ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California list. This small school is located in Redlands, California, and it awarded 32 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Redlands

16
USD crest
University of San Diego
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #16, University of San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California list. University of San Diego is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 USD Natural Resources Conservation Report

17
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California ranking, coming in at #17. Santa Clara University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Clara, California. It awarded 46 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 Santa Clara University

18
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California ranking, coming in at #18. Pomona is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Pomona Natural Resources Conservation Report

19
Whittier crest
Whittier College
Whittier, California

With a ranking of #19, Whittier College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California list. This small school is located in Whittier, California, and it awarded 6 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at Whittier College

20

With a ranking of #20, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California list. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 52 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - San Marcos Natural Resources Conservation Report

21
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California ranking, coming in at #21. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 109 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at SDSU

22
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

With a ranking of #22, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California list. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conservation degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 SSU

23
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #23 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 73 degrees to qualified ’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at SFSU

24

With a ranking of #24, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California list. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Chico State

25
Mills crest
Mills College
Oakland, California

Mills College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Conservation Major in California ranking. This small school is located in Oakland, California, and it awarded 3 ’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 3.5% 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 Mills College Natural Resources Conservation Report

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