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2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

10 Ranked Colleges
186 Degrees Awarded
$18,800 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 30,341 people earned their degree in natural resources and conservation, making the major the 26th most popular in the United States. 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 Plains States region, there were 1,830 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,070 and $31,094 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 186 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,438 and $39,783 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 10 colleges that offered a degree in natural resources and conservation. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality natural resources and conservation programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the natural resources and conservation program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 10 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

#1

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Twin Cities are $28,845, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UMN Twin Cities

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 10 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 7 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa State has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa State University are $25,948.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Iowa State

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Fargo, North Dakota. It awarded 10 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. Average graduate tuition and fees at North Dakota State University - Main Campus are $11,589, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this large public school awarded 17 degrees to qualified masters’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Nebraska - Lincoln are $19,513.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UNL

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 10 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Missouri - Columbia are $27,193, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Missouri - Columbia

With a ranking of #6, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 1 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato also took the #0 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Minnesota State University - Mankato are $8,788, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Minnesota State Mankato

#7

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Southeast Missouri State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and it awarded 5 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Southeast Missouri State University also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. Average graduate tuition and fees at Southeast Missouri State University are $10,792, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Southeast Missouri State University

#8

Webster University

Saint Louis, Missouri
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Webster University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 50 degrees to qualified masters’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $0-$30k list, Webster has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Webster are $13,500.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Webster University

#9

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#8 in overall quality

Kansas State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Manhattan, Kansas, and it awarded 21 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at K -State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Kansas State University are $24,115.

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

#10

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#6 in overall quality

South Dakota State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Dakota State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at South Dakota State University are $16,743, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at South Dakota State 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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