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

28 Ranked Colleges
3,248 Degrees Awarded
$15,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 California, there were 4,073 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,215 and $22,557 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,248 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 28 colleges that offered 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid.

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

#18 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Bakersfield. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUB is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 11 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUB, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $5,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at California State University - Bakersfield

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 75 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #2 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

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

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 514 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 University of California - Berkeley

#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Riverside. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,871 for California 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%.

Full University of California - Riverside Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. 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 offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at UC Irvine

#6

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#13 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 98 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid list, SDSU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 SDSU

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid list, CSULB has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $9,622 for california 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at California State University - Long Beach

#25 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

CSUSB also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

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

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at California State University - San Bernardino

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 56 students in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Sac State

#9 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 66 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

UCSD also took the #9 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend UCSD.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSD Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#11

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 358 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid list, UCSB has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at UCSB

#12

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#8 in overall quality

San Jose State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 61 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid list, San Jose State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,928 for California 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at San Jose State

#7 in overall quality

University of California - Davis landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 371 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

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

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UC Davis

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Full Cal State East Bay Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#15

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,186 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#23 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California 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.

CSUMB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,212 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend California State University - Monterey Bay.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at CSUMB

#17

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#21 in overall quality

Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 43 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

SSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sonoma State University is $17,478 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at SSU

#18

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 52 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

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

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

#15 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 121 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#24 in overall quality

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Chico State is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

Chico State also took the #24 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend Chico State.

The low 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%.

Full California State University - Chico Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#21

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 326 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,692 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Humboldt State University

The University of Arizona Global Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UAGC is $20,510 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at The University of Arizona Global Campus

#23

University of Redlands

Redlands, California
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, University of Redlands did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of Redlands is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Redlands, California. It awarded 49 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid list, University of Redlands has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Redlands is $27,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Redlands

#24

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of Southern California ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 55 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $29,528 for california 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full USC Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#25

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

Occidental College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oxy is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Oxy also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Oxy is $29,638 for california bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Occidental College 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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