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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s

15 Ranked Colleges
498 Degrees Awarded
$44,988 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master's

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s” 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 Great Lakes region, there were 3,064 natural resources conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,465 and $23,360 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 15 colleges that offer a degree in natural resources conservation. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent natural resources conservation programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the natural resources conservation program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Natural Resources Conservation Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Conservation Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree vets studying conservation.

Top 15 Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 165 masters’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #1 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 570 of the 47,907 students enrolled at U-M were GI Bill® students, of which 325 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $27,058. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Veteran Student Life Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s conservation degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #2 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Wisconsin - Madison supports 44,640 students, and 4 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Veteran Student Life Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 27 masters’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree vets studying conservation list, Ohio State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 61,369 students enrolled at Ohio State University - Main Campus, 2 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Ohio State University - Main Campus]](/colleges/ohio-state-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 48 masters’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree vets studying conservation list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Of the 43,064 students enrolled at Indiana University - Bloomington, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Indiana University - Bloomington does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 IU Bloomington Veteran Student Life Report

5

Out of the 15 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #5 spot on the list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 15 masters’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign supports 52,679 students, and 10 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

6

Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. Oxford, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s conservation degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree vets studying conservation list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Of the 18,880 students enrolled at Miami University - Oxford, 405 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 259 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,877. To help with additional expenses, 6 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

7

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s ranking. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 15 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Green Bay also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7.Among the 8,954 students enrolled at UW - Green Bay, 362 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 200 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,302. During this same period, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UW - Green Bay does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Veteran Student Life Report

8

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s ranking. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

SIUC also took the #11 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Of the 11,366 students enrolled at SIUC, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full SIUC Veteran Student Life Report

9

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #9. UW - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Stevens Point also made our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16.Our most recent data shows that 343 of the 8,302 students enrolled at UW - Stevens Point were GI Bill® students, of which 129 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,195. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

10
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s list. Loyola University Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 masters’s conservation degrees to qualified students.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 261 of the 16,893 students enrolled at Loyola University Chicago were GI Bill® students, of which 165 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,263. On top of their other funding sources, 78 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Loyola University Chicago]](/colleges/loyola-university-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

11

Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s ranking. Located in Athens, Ohio, this large public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified masters’s conservation students in 2020-2021.

OHIO Athens not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 726 of the 25,714 students enrolled at Ohio University - Athens Campus were GI Bill® students, of which 324 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,725. In addition to receiving other benefits, 10 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

12

With a ranking of #12, Cleveland State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s list. Cleveland State University is a fairly large public school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 9 masters’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Cleveland State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 15,247 students enrolled at Cleveland State University, 411 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 169 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,076. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Cleveland State University]](/colleges/cleveland-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

13

University of Michigan - Dearborn ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 5 masters’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UM Dearborn also took the #15 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Of the 8,783 students enrolled at University of Michigan - Dearborn, 159 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 111 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,134. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Michigan - Dearborn offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at UM Dearborn]](/colleges/university-of-michigan-dearborn/student-life/veterans/)

14
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s conservation degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

DePaul also took the #12 spot in our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul, 528 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,957. In addition to receiving other benefits, 101 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at DePaul University]](/colleges/depaul-university/student-life/veterans/)

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Conservation for a Master’s list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 14 masters’s conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Natural Resources Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 4,146 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Springfield, 214 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 106 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,253. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

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