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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (With Aid)

355 Ranked Colleges
21,733 Degrees Awarded
$11,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 21,733 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 355 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.

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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (With Aid)

#1

Hunter College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Hunter is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 15 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,490 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend Hunter College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Hunter College

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Top 10% in overall quality

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 #2 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 141 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill excels when it comes to natural resources and conservation quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,352 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UNC Chapel Hill

#3

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Yale University is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 32 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Yale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Yale is $17,549 for bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Yale University

Top 15% in overall quality

Out of the 355 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 202 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW Seattle also did well on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $13,297 for bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend UW Seattle.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Natural Resources & Conservation Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $4,514 for bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

#6

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
Top 10% in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, American Public University System did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. American Military University is a large private for-profit school situated in Charles Town, West Virginia. It awarded 311 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

American Military University excels when it comes to natural resources and conservation quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,222 for bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend American Military University.

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

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at American Military University

#7

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Massachusetts Maritime Academy did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, this small public school awarded 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid list, Maritime has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts Maritime Academy is $20,485 for bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Maritime Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#8

Queens College

Queens, New York

Queens College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Queens, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Queens College is $3,067 for bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Full Queens College Natural Resources & Conservation Report

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $5,318 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Full CSUB Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#10

St Petersburg College

Clearwater, Florida

St Petersburg College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. St Petersburg College is a public institution located in Clearwater, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,226 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend SPC.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at SPC

#11

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#9 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 75 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#12

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

Harvard University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $15,386 for bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Harvard University

#13

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Florida came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 149 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $6,302 for bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

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

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Florida

#14

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks, Alaska
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Alaska Fairbanks did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. University of Alaska Fairbanks is located in Fairbanks, Alaska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UAF also did well on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Alaska Fairbanks is $10,333 for bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Alaska Fairbanks

#15

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#22 in overall quality

North Carolina State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. North Carolina State University is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 212 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State also took the #22 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $16,458 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full NC State Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#16

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#4 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid 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 also took the #4 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,329 for bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#17

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Pensacola, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of West Florida is $7,406 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Full UWF Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#18

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
Top 20% in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR excels when it comes to natural resources and conservation quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $12,871 for bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at UCR

With a ranking of #19, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 131 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,355 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend USF Tampa.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at USF Tampa

#20

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
Top 15% in overall quality

Florida State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 161 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Florida State also did well on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $9,789 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend Florida State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Florida State University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

Top 15% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 200 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison excels when it comes to natural resources and conservation quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $17,708 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend UW - Madison.

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 low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

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

Top 20% in overall quality

University of California - Irvine landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UC Irvine is also in the top of our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $14,783 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend UC Irvine.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#23

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
Top 20% in overall quality

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 98 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

SDSU also claimed a top spot on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $14,788 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend SDSU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 89%.

Full SDSU Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#24

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
Top 20% in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 56 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also claimed a top spot on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $13,253 for Bachelor’s Degree 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 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 IU Bloomington Natural Resources & Conservation Report

With a ranking of #25, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 39 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

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 more about Natural Resources & Conservation at CSULB

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#27

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#30

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
#31

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#32

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana
#33

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia
#37

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
#38

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia
#39

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#40

University of Minnesota - Crookston

Crookston, Minnesota
#41

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York
#42

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#43

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#44

Valley City State University

Valley City, North Dakota
#45

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#49

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#50

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
52 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
53 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
54 Iowa State University Ames, IA

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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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