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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation in Virginia

9 Ranked Colleges
538 Degrees Awarded
$22,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia

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 Virginia” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 30,341 people earned their degree in natural resources and conservation, making the major the 26th most popular in the United States. 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 Virginia, there were 779 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 538 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia” ranking analyzed 9 colleges that offered a degree in natural resources and conservation. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent natural resources and conservation programs, but they also cost less that 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Natural Resources & Conservation Schools

The natural resources & conservation school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia.

Top 9 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation in Virginia

#1

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Tech. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 222 students in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $21,198 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Virginia Tech

#2

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 76 students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $20,397 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students.

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

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#3

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, George Mason University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Fairfax, Virginia, this large public school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students list, GMU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend George Mason University is $21,048 for virginia bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at George Mason University

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Commonwealth University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Richmond, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 72 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at VCU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $22,021 for virginia bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students per year to attend Virginia Commonwealth University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Commonwealth University Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#5

Ferrum College

Ferrum, Virginia
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Ferrum College landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Ferrum, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s natural resources and conservation students in 2019-2020.

Ferrum College also took the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ferrum College is $22,159 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Ferrum College

#6

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, Virginia
#3 in overall quality

Randolph - Macon College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Randolph - Macon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ashland, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Randolph - Macon also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Randolph - Macon College is $26,370 for virginia bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Randolph - Macon Natural Resources & Conservation Report

#7

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia
#7 in overall quality

University of Lynchburg landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. University of Lynchburg is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.

Lynchburg also took the #7 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lynchburg is $23,207 for virginia bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Natural Resources & Conservation at Lynchburg

#8

Hollins University

Roanoke, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Hollins University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. This small school is located in Roanoke, Virginia, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2019-2020.

Hollins also made our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Hollins University is $20,603 for virginia bachelor’s degree natural resources & conservation students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. 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.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Hollins University

#9

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia
#6 in overall quality

Roanoke College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Roanoke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Salem, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Roanoke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Roanoke is $25,135 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Natural Resources & Conservation students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Roanoke College

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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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