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

54 Ranked Colleges
2,957 Degrees Awarded
$15,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region 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. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

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 Great Lakes region, there were 4,152 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,081 and $25,321 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,957 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 54 colleges that offered a degree in natural resources and conservation. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality natural resources and conservation programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the natural resources and conservation program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Natural Resources & Conservation Schools

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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

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

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

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #1 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 200 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#2

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #2 spot on the list. Bloomington, Indiana 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.

IU Bloomington also took the #7 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $13,253 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Indiana University - Bloomington

#3

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #3 spot on the list. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 272 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.

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

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,880 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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 students.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#18 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Green Bay, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

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

#2 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 130 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid list, U-M has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $15,336 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#7

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#14 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 34 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls also took the #14 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $13,748 for Great Lakes 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 full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Full UW - Whitewater Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#9

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#24 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 86 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,986 for Great Lakes 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Purdue

#10

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#10 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a medium-sized public school situated in Menomonie, Wisconsin. It awarded 23 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stout, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stout is $15,839 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 - Stout

#11

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan
#16 in overall quality

Lake Superior State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, this small public school handed out 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

Lake Superior State University also took the #16 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Superior State University is $12,398 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Lake Superior State University

#12

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $15,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend Ball State.

Full Ball State Natural Resources & Conservation Report

With a ranking of #13, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $11,285 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at IUPUI

University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Michigan - Dearborn is a public institution located in Dearborn, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,473 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn.

The low 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 more about Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Michigan - Dearborn

#15

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 34 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid list, NIU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at NIU

#16

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend UIS.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Illinois at Springfield

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at UW Oshkosh

#18

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 182 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $19,173 for great lakes region 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 low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Michigan State

#18

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 79 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#6 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 201 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

Ohio State also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $17,616 for great lakes region 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%. 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 full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Ohio State

#11 in overall quality

Michigan Technological University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Michigan Tech is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

Michigan Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan Technological University is $16,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Michigan Tech

#22

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oakland is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 27 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Oakland

#23

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#20 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school handed out 63 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid list, GVSU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

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 Grand Valley State University

University of Michigan - Flint landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Michigan - Flint is a public institution located in Flint, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,734 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Flint.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Michigan - Flint

With a ranking of #25, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,945 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students with aid.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

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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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