2026 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in District of Columbia
[Natural Resources & Conservation](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for natural resources & conservation students.
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2026 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in natural resources & conservation, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools
George Washington University earned the #1 spot for value among natural resources & conservation schools in District of Columbia. George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,710. Natural Resources & Conservation graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, natural resources & conservation degree recipients from George Washington University generally make around $51,201. That is a strong return on a $19,500 median debt. Roughly 47% of applicants are accepted.
Georgetown University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in natural resources & conservation, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $68,089 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for natural resources & conservation graduates is $16,483. Soon after graduation, natural resources & conservation degree recipients from Georgetown University generally make around $79,632. That is a strong return on a $16,483 median debt. Roughly 13% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at American University earned it the #3 place for natural resources & conservation. Located in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $58,771. Students borrow a median of $26,905 to complete the natural resources & conservation program here. Early-career natural resources & conservation graduates make about $60,156. Set against $26,905 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 62%.
More Natural Resources & Conservation Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
