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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

20 Ranked Colleges
497 Degrees Awarded
$28,900 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Great Lakes region, there were 4,152 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,081 and $25,321 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 497 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 20 colleges that offered 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.

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.

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 Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 20 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified masters’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UChicago are $61,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Chicago

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 129 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 64 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at UW - Madison

#4

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also took the #7 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Purdue

#5

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Bloomington are $33,338, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Indiana University - Bloomington

#6 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 26 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at UIUC

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Michigan Technological University is a medium-sized public school situated in Houghton, Michigan. It awarded 15 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k list, Michigan Tech has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan Tech are $21,996.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Michigan Technological University

#13 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIS is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 23 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Springfield are $16,757, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at UIS

#15 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Michigan - Dearborn is located in Dearborn, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

UM Dearborn also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. Average graduate tuition and fees at UM Dearborn are $25,072, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UM Dearborn Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#9 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified masters’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State 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. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State are $37,141.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Ohio State

#11

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
#11 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay are $19,126, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at UW - Green Bay

#12

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#17 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point are $19,178, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#13

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 1 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k list, Ball State has also earned the #0 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ball State are $26,204, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Ball State Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#14 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Southern Illinois University Carbondale are $32,928.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at SIUC

#15

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UWM is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 17 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UWM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UWM are $25,295, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

#16

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#5 in overall quality

Michigan State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school awarded 21 degrees to qualified masters’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree natural resources & conservation students whose families make $48-$75k list, Michigan State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State are $37,056.

Full Michigan State Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#17

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio
#18 in overall quality

Cleveland State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

Cleveland State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cleveland State University are $17,622, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#10 in overall quality

Miami University - Oxford came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Oxford, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified masters’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

Miami University - Oxford 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. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Miami University - Oxford are $31,697.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Miami University - Oxford

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 8 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

OHIO Athens not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at OHIO Athens are $17,712, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full OHIO Athens Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#20

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

DePaul University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

DePaul also took the #16 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul University are $19,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full DePaul University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

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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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