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2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k

20 Ranked Colleges
1,205 Degrees Awarded
$12,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Natural Resources & Conservation is the 26th most popular major in the country with 30,341 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, natural resources and conservation graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,196 and had an average of $25,077 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Rocky Mountains region, there were 2,082 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,144 and $25,086 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,205 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,111 and $23,874 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in natural resources and conservation. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great natural resources and conservation programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the natural resources and conservation program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. 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.

Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $0-$30k) in the Rocky Mountains Region

#1

Colorado College

Colorado Springs, Colorado
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colorado College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Colorado College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $11,568 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Colorado College.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Colorado College Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#19 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #2 spot on the list. BYU - I is a large school located in Rexburg, Idaho that handed out 28 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU - I also took the #19 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $2,637 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend BYU - I.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Brigham Young University - Idaho

#3

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wyoming. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UW is a fairly large school located in Laramie, Wyoming that handed out 78 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW is $8,231 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#4

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Utah landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Utah is a large school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 102 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, U of U has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $11,511 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Utah.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at U of U

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Utah State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Logan, Utah, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

USU also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $10,643 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USU.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at USU

#2 in overall quality

University of Colorado Boulder came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CU - Boulder is a large public school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 185 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, CU - Boulder has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CU - Boulder is $13,366 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Colorado Boulder Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#14 in overall quality

The University of Montana - Western landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Montana - Western is a small public school situated in Dillon, Montana. It awarded 17 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Montana Western not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Montana Western is $11,142 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Montana Western

#8 in overall quality

Colorado State University - Fort Collins came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, this large public school handed out 70 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, Colorado State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins is $11,831 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%. 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 Colorado State

#9

University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho
#13 in overall quality

University of Idaho landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Idaho is a fairly large public school situated in Moscow, Idaho. It awarded 133 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

U of I also took the #13 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U of I is $10,877 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Idaho Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#11 in overall quality

Metropolitan State University of Denver ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, MSU Denver has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $11,531 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MSU Denver.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at MSU Denver

#11

Western Colorado University

Gunnison, Colorado
#10 in overall quality

Western Colorado University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Gunnison, Colorado, this small public school awarded 38 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

Western did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Western Colorado University is $13,018 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Western Colorado University

#12

Fort Lewis College

Durango, Colorado
#16 in overall quality

Fort Lewis College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Durango, Colorado is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

FLC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for FLC is $13,108 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at FLC

#13

Boise State University

Boise, Idaho
#15 in overall quality

Boise State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boise State University is a large public school situated in Boise, Idaho. It awarded 63 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Boise State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boise State is $12,000 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Boise State University

#14

Montana State University

Bozeman, Montana
#6 in overall quality

Montana State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. MSU Bozeman is a public institution located in Bozeman, Montana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU Bozeman also took the #6 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MSU Bozeman is $15,706 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at MSU Bozeman

#15

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, Colorado
#18 in overall quality

Colorado Mesa University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Colorado Mesa University is a medium-sized school located in Grand Junction, Colorado that handed out 21 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado Mesa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado Mesa is $12,708 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Colorado Mesa Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#16

The University of Montana

Missoula, Montana
#17 in overall quality

The University of Montana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Missoula, Montana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 126 students in 2019-2020.

UM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Montana is $13,064 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at UM

#17

The College of Idaho

Caldwell, Idaho
#9 in overall quality

The College of Idaho came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The College of Idaho is a private not-for-profit institution located in Caldwell, Idaho. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, The College of Idaho has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The College of Idaho is $17,172 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The College of Idaho Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#18

University of Denver

Denver, Colorado
#7 in overall quality

University of Denver ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Denver, Colorado, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

DU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $19,659 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend DU.

The low 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 University of Denver Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#19

Westminster College Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#12 in overall quality

Westminster College Utah ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Westminster College Utah is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 5 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Westminster College Salt Lake, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $16,929 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Westminster College Salt Lake.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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 full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Westminster College Salt Lake

#20

Naropa University

Boulder, Colorado
#20 in overall quality

Naropa University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Naropa University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 6 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Naropa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Naropa University is $21,173 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Naropa University

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Lynn Betts.

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