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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

50 Ranked Colleges
4,848 Degrees Awarded
$13,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region 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 in the Far Western US Region 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.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 6,337 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,390 and $23,671 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,848 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 50 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the natural resources and conservation program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $13,297 for far western us region bachelor’s degree 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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at UW Seattle

#24 in overall quality

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Bakersfield landed the #2 spot on the list. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

CSUB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $5,318 for far western us region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend CSUB.

Full CSUB Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 75 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $14,279 for Far Western US Region 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%. 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

#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Alaska Fairbanks. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Fairbanks, Alaska, this medium-sized public school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

UAF also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $10,333 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend UAF.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at UAF

#1 in overall quality

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 a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 514 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $15,329 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

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 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%.

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

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 47 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $12,871 for far western us region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 91%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at UCR

#11 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 44 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #11 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $14,783 for far western us region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 UC Irvine

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#16 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,788 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Diego State University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $9,622 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at CSULB

#10

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 25 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,342 for far western us region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at CSUSB

California State University - Sacramento landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 56 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,979 for far western us region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend Sac State.

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

Full California State University - Sacramento Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#10 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid list, UCSD has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $14,232 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

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

#13

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 358 students in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $15,884 for far western us region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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

#14

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#9 in overall quality

San Jose State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 61 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $14,928 for far western us region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend San Jose State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at San Jose State University

#7 in overall quality

University of California - Davis landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 371 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,669 for far western us region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

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

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UC Davis

#16

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

Eastern Washington University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Eastern Washington University is a public institution located in Cheney, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Washington University is $12,607 for far western us region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Full Eastern Washington University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

California State University - East Bay ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 23 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,116 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

Full Cal State East Bay Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#18

Skagit Valley College

Mount Vernon, Washington

Skagit Valley College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Mount Vernon, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,963 for far western us region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend Skagit Valley College.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Skagit Valley College

#19

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#19 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 246 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $18,186 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 72 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUMB is $12,212 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Monterey Bay Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#21

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii

University of Hawaii at Manoa landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UH Manoa is a public institution located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UH Manoa is $15,030 for far western us region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UH Manoa

#22

Southern Oregon University

Ashland, Oregon

Southern Oregon University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Southern Oregon University is located in Ashland, Oregon and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Oregon University is $10,386 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Full Southern Oregon University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#23

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#21 in overall quality

Western Washington University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Bellingham, Washington, this fairly large public school handed out 280 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid list, WWU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Washington University is $16,529 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at WWU

#24

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. SSU is a public institution located in Rohnert Park, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Sonoma State University is $17,478 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 more about Natural Resources & Conservation at SSU

#25

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $15,113 for far western us region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at San Francisco State University

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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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