by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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 Rocky Mountains region, there were 1,181 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,165 and $22,802 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 242 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,301 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking, we looked at 11 colleges that offer a degree in natural resources conservation. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in natural resources conservation.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region master’s degree conservation students.
Out of the 11 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Colorado University landed the #1 spot on the list. Western is a small public school situated in Gunnison, Colorado. It awarded 29 masters’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Western Colorado University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Idaho. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Rocky Mountains Region list. U of I is a public institution located in Moscow, Idaho. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 34 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 University of Idaho
Out of the 11 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Colorado Boulder landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Colorado Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 76 masters’s conservation degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 more about Natural Resources Conservation at University of Colorado Boulder
Out of the 11 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Colorado State University - Fort Collins landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, this large public school handed out 46 degrees to qualified masters’s conservation students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Natural Resources Conservation at Colorado State University - Fort Collins
Out of the 11 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Montana landed the #5 spot on the list. The University of Montana is a public institution located in Missoula, Montana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at The University of Montana
University of Wyoming did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #6. Laramie, Wyoming is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s conservation degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at University of Wyoming
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in Denver, Colorado, this large public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s conservation students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
Utah State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Utah State University is a public institution located in Logan, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Utah State University Natural Resources Conservation Report
Montana State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Montana State University is a fairly large school located in Bozeman, Montana that handed out 3 masters’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Read full report on Natural Resources Conservation at MSU Bozeman
With a ranking of #10, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Rocky Mountains Region list. BYU is located in Provo, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 masters’s conservation degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full Brigham Young University - Provo Natural Resources Conservation Report
Idaho State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Conservation Major in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Idaho State University is a fairly large public school situated in Pocatello, Idaho. It awarded 2 masters’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
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