2021 Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation
Finding the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation School for You
Natural Resources & Conservation is the #23 most popular major in the country with 21,077 bachelor's degrees awarded in 2018-2019.
This year's Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation ranking analyzed 184 colleges that offered a bachelor's degree in natural resources and conservation. To us, 'best value' doesn't just mean the school with the lowest overall costs. For this ranking, we are identifying those natural resources and conservation schools that provide their students with a hiqh quality education at a price that is lower than other colleges and universities of the same caliber.
To determine the average cost, we look at total expenses - such as tuition, fees, room and board, books, and other related expenses - and then subtract the average financial award a student receives. Knowing this amount can help you determine how much you may have to borrow in loans or take out of savings. Keep in mind that the net cost for you may be higher or lower, depending on your income and other factors.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
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 list to help you make the college decision.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
2021 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the best for the money for natural resources and conservation majors.
Top 25 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools
Lake Superior State University earned the #1 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the town of Sault Ste Marie, Lake Superior State University is a public school with a small student population. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Lake Superior State University also is in the top 5% of our Best Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation ranking.
It takes the average student at Lake Superior State University about 4.4 years to graduate, and it costs about $16,475 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Lake Superior State University is $72,160. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #2 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value natural resources and conservation schools. UW - Stevens Point is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Stevens Point. In addition to its great value ranking, UW - Stevens Point is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation list.
At UW - Stevens Point, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $19,927. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UW - Stevens Point is $90,070. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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South Dakota State University earned the #3 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public college with a fairly large student population. South Dakota State excels when it comes to quality. It's ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation list.
It takes the average student at South Dakota State about 4.4 years to graduate, and it costs about $20,370 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State is $89,628. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Unity College comes in at #4 in this year's ranking. Unity is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Unity. Unity did well in our quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation list.
The average student at Unity graduates in less than 4.1 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $29,495. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Unity be around $122,109. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science comes in at #5 in this year's ranking. Paul Smith's College is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Paul Smiths. Paul Smith's College not only placed well in our value rankings. It is also #5 on our Best Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation list.
At Paul Smith’s College, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $29,530. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Paul Smith’s College is $124,912. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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University of Florida landed the #6 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value natural resources and conservation schools. Located in the midsize city of Gainesville, U of F is a public college with a fairly large student population. U of F also made our Best Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation list, coming in at #8.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at U of F is 4.3 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $28,230. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from U of F is $120,542. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Our rankings recognize SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry as the #7 school in this year's rankings. SUNY - ESF is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Syracuse. As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY - ESF, the school also landed the #2 rank in our Best Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation ranking.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at SUNY - ESF to complete their degree, and it costs about $30,271 per year to attend the school. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from SUNY - ESF be around $126,230. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Stephen F Austin State University landed the #8 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value natural resources and conservation schools. Located in the town of Nacogdoches, SFASU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at SFASU to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $22,360. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the SFASU is $99,278. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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North Carolina State University comes in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in the large city of Raleigh, NC State is a public school with a very large student population. NC State not only placed well in our value rankings. It is also #4 on our Best Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation list.
At NC State, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.4 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $28,493. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from NC State is $124,799. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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West Virginia University landed the #10 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value natural resources and conservation schools. WVU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Morgantown. On top of its placing in our value rankings, WVU also did well on our Best Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation list. It's in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
At WVU, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $27,485. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from WVU is $122,583. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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University of Georgia earned the #11 spot in our 2021 rankings. UGA is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Athens. In addition to its great value ranking, UGA is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation list.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at UGA to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $31,505. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UGA is about $134,211. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Iowa State University earned the #12 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public college with a very large student population.
The average student at Iowa State graduates in less than 4.4 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $26,749. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State is $118,231. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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The #13 spot in this year's ranking belongs to University of South Florida - Main Campus. Located in the city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average student at USF Tampa graduates in less than 4.3 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $23,095. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the USF Tampa is $99,308. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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The #14 spot in this year's ranking belongs to North Dakota State University - Main Campus. North Dakota State University is a large public school located in the city of Fargo.
The average student at North Dakota State University graduates in less than 4.5 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $21,224. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the North Dakota State University is $96,145. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earned the #15 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public school with a very large student population. In addition to its great value ranking, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation list.
The average student at UNC Chapel Hill graduates in less than 4.1 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $26,820. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UNC Chapel Hill is $109,694. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Mississippi State University landed the #16 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value natural resources and conservation schools. Mississippi State is a fairly large public school located in the remote town of Mississippi State.
It takes the average student at Mississippi State about 4.5 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $28,760. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State be around $130,570. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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University of Maine comes in at #17 in this year's ranking. UMaine is a large public school located in the small suburb of Orono. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UMaine also is in the top 10% of our Best Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation ranking.
At UMaine, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.4 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $32,976. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from UMaine is $144,765. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Western Carolina University earned the #18 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at WCU is 4.4 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $15,387. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from WCU is $67,549. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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The #19 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Humboldt State University. Humboldt State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Arcata.
It takes about 4.9 years for the average student at Humboldt State University to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $24,360. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Humboldt State University is $118,390. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Virginia Tech landed the #20 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value natural resources and conservation schools. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the small city of Blacksburg. Virginia Tech excels when it comes to quality. It's ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation list.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Virginia Tech is 4.3 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $33,298. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Virginia Tech is $142,182. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Florida State University comes in at #21 in this year's ranking. Florida State is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Tallahassee.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Florida State is 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $27,233. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Florida State is $115,196. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Tennessee Technological University comes in at #22 in this year's ranking. Tennessee Tech University is a fairly large public school located in the remote town of Cookeville.
The average student at Tennessee Tech University graduates in less than 4.6 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $29,120. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Tech University be around $132,787. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earned the #23 spot in our 2021 rankings. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the large city of Minneapolis. UMN Twin Cities excels when it comes to quality. It's ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation list.
At UMN Twin Cities, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $33,989. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from UMN Twin Cities be around $143,094. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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University of Idaho earned the #24 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the distant town of Moscow, Idaho is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Idaho is 4.5 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $29,080. This means that the average student pays around $131,151 to get a bachelor’s degree from Idaho. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Our rankings recognize University of Wyoming as the #25 school in this year's rankings. U of Wyoming is a fairly large public school located in the town of Laramie.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at U of Wyoming is 4.6 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $20,323. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from U of Wyoming is $94,299. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Arizona State University - Tempe | Tempe, AZ |
| 29 | University of Nebraska - Lincoln | Lincoln, NE |
| 30 | Allegheny College | Meadville, PA |
| 31 | Colorado State University - Fort Collins | Fort Collins, CO |
| 32 | Tarleton State University | Stephenville, TX |
| 33 | Texas State University | San Marcos, TX |
| 34 | Oregon State University | Corvallis, OR |
| 35 | Massachusetts Maritime Academy | Buzzards Bay, MA |
| 36 | Western Washington University | Bellingham, WA |
Natural Resources & Conservation by Region
View the Best Value Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
Natural Resources & Conservation Related Rankings by Major
Natural Resources & Conservation Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Natural Resources Conservation | 16,348 |
| Wildlife Management | 1,761 |
| Natural Resource Management | 1,307 |
| Forestry | 1,156 |
| Fisheries Sciences | 405 |
View All Natural Resources & Conservation Related Majors >
Majors Similar to Natural Resources & Conservation
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Engineering | 128,724 |
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 126,493 |
| Computer & Information Sciences | 92,596 |
| Physical Sciences | 32,633 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 30,991 |
View All Natural Resources & Conservation Related Majors >
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Lynn Betts.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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