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2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid

267 Ranked Colleges
30,503 Degrees Awarded
$14,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid

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 Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 267 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (With Aid)

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 154 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,469 for natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Natural Resources & Conservation Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 245 diplomas to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. It costs about $12,017 for natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 UW Seattle Natural Resources & Conservation Report

3
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Out of the 267 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #3 spot on the list. Yale University is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 150 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Yale, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Yale University is $15,296 for natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Yale

4
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 258 students in 2020-2021.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. It costs about $13,872 for natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend Harvard.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Harvard Natural Resources & Conservation Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 616 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Natural Resources & Conservation Report

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 287 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UF is $5,135 for natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 UF

7
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 333 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our natural resources & conservation students with aid list, NC State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,411 for natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend NC State.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at North Carolina State University

8
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

With a ranking of #8, American Public University System did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid list. American Military University is a private for-profit institution located in Charles Town, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 490 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, American Military University is also in the top of our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. It costs about $10,563 for natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend American Public University System.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at American Public University System

9

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 312 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. It costs about $14,878 for natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend U-M.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at U-M

10
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Queens, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend QC is $3,469 for natural resources & conservation students with aid.

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%.

Full Queens College Natural Resources & Conservation Report

11
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 155 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Florida State is also in the top of our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $9,946 for Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

12

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 107 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also claimed a top spot on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $14,619 for Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 IU Bloomington

13

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 370 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our natural resources & conservation students with aid list, UC Davis has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,768 for Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend UC Davis.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 UC Davis

14

With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 491 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #14 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UW - Madison

15

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 221 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, ASU - Tempe is in the top on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. It costs about $13,107 for Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend ASU - Tempe.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at ASU - Tempe

16

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 101 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 96%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UCLA

17

University of Houston - Clear Lake did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 31 degrees to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Houston - Clear Lake is $15,001 for natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 University of Houston - Clear Lake

18

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 142 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,346 for Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 University of South Florida - Main Campus

19

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 470 diplomas to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,252 for Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend UCSB.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

20

University of California - Irvine landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 56 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UC Irvine is in the top on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,209 for natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 undergraduate students.

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

21

Iowa State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 135 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Iowa State also did well on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $16,002 for Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend Iowa State University.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Iowa State University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

22
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 195 degrees to qualified ’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our natural resources & conservation students with aid list, Duke has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. It costs about $32,459 for Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend Duke University.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Duke

23
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 123 ’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,989 for Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend Appalachian State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Appalachian State Natural Resources & Conservation Report

24
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 141 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our natural resources & conservation students with aid list, University of Virginia has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $22,006 for natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Virginia - Main Campus

25

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 237 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,878 for natural resources & conservation students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at UMN Twin Cities

Rest of the Best 41 in Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 41 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana
28
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
29
Haywood Community College crest
Haywood Community College
Clyde, North Carolina
30
31
32
33
34
35
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
36
37
38
39
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
40
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
41
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

Notes and References

References

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