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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $30-$48k) in California

28 Ranked Colleges
3,248 Degrees Awarded
$11,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 California, there were 4,073 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,215 and $22,557 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,248 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree in natural resources and conservation. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent natural resources and conservation programs, but they also 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Natural Resources & Conservation Schools

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 Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 514 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $9,130 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UC Berkeley

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 75 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,254 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 96%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of California - Los Angeles

#18 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Bakersfield. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUB also took the #18 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $3,880 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Riverside. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 47 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,151 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCR.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 91%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UCR

#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 44 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #10 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of California - Irvine

#6

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 358 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also took the #6 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $11,895 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 91%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of California - Santa Barbara

#7

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#13 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 98 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $10,594 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full SDSU Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 39 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at California State University - Long Beach

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 371 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,769 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Davis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of California - Davis

#9 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 66 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

UCSD also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,974 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - San Diego Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#11

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#25 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,869 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at CSUSB

#12

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

Occidental College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oxy, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,662 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Occidental College.

The low 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Oxy

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 56 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,823 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Sac State

#14

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#8 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 61 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, San Jose State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $11,752 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at San Jose State

#15

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#16 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 246 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $11,793 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#15 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 121 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,680 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#17

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 55 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Southern California

#22 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,891 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Cal State East Bay

#23 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUMB has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,567 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Monterey Bay.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at CSUMB

#20

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $12,517 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at SFSU

#21

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#21 in overall quality

Sonoma State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 43 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, SSU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,248 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SSU.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Sonoma State University

#24 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,576 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Chico State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at California State University - Chico

#23

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Humboldt State University is a public institution located in Arcata, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 326 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $12,775 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Humboldt State University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#24

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California
#5 in overall quality

Santa Clara University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Clara, California. It awarded 41 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

SCU also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Santa Clara University is $18,949 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Santa Clara University

#25

University of San Diego

San Diego, California
#14 in overall quality

University of San Diego landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

USD also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $23,224 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USD.

The 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 full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of San Diego

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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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