College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k

12 Ranked Colleges
2,179 Degrees Awarded
$12,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Natural Resources & Conservation is the 25th most popular major in the country with 30,503 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, natural resources and conservation graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,158 and had an average of $23,267 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Rocky Mountains region, there were 2,179 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,077 and $22,865 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 12 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Natural Resources & Conservation Schools

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

The natural resources & conservation school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 12 Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $30-$48k) in the Rocky Mountains Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Colorado State University - Fort Collins is a large school located in Fort Collins, Colorado that handed out 273 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Colorado State also took the #2 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado State is $12,736 for rocky mountains region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Colorado State

2
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wyoming. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Wyoming is a fairly large school located in Laramie, Wyoming that handed out 81 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wyoming is $6,776 for rocky mountains region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Colorado Boulder. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Boulder, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 268 students in 2020-2021.

CU - Boulder also took the #3 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CU - Boulder is $13,901 for Rocky Mountains Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 CU - Boulder

4
U of I crest
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Idaho. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. U of I is located in Moscow, Idaho and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 197 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, U of I has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $11,148 for rocky mountains region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend U of I.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Utah State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Utah State University is a large public school situated in Logan, Utah. It awarded 112 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

USU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Utah State University is $9,821 for rocky mountains region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

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

6
DU crest
University of Denver
Denver, Colorado

University of Denver landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Denver is a fairly large school located in Denver, Colorado that handed out 203 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k list, DU has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Denver is $21,285 for rocky mountains region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at DU

7
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, this large public school awarded 98 diplomas to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of U, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U of U is $11,823 for rocky mountains region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 U of U

8
UM crest
The University of Montana
Missoula, Montana

With a ranking of #8, The University of Montana did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. The University of Montana is a fairly large school located in Missoula, Montana that handed out 230 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UM, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $13,429 for Rocky Mountains Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UM.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UM

9

With a ranking of #9, Metropolitan State University of Denver did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Metropolitan State University of Denver is located in Denver, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

MSU Denver also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Metropolitan State University of Denver is $11,884 for rocky mountains region natural resources & conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full MSU Denver Natural Resources & Conservation Report

10

Boise State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Boise, Idaho, this large public school awarded 48 degrees to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.

Boise State also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Boise State is $13,582 for Rocky Mountains Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Boise State Natural Resources & Conservation Report

11
FLC crest
Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado

Fort Lewis College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Fort Lewis College is a small school located in Durango, Colorado that handed out 33 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FLC, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fort Lewis College is $11,347 for Rocky Mountains Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full FLC Natural Resources & Conservation Report

12
Western crest
Western Colorado University
Gunnison, Colorado

With a ranking of #12, Western Colorado University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Gunnison, Colorado, and it awarded 62 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

Western also took the #9 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Colorado University is $13,136 for Rocky Mountains Region Natural Resources & Conservation students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Western

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options