2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s
19
Ranked Colleges
567
Degrees Awarded
$45,342
Avg Salary
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 30,503 people earned their degree in natural resources and conservation, making the major the 25th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, natural resources and conservation graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,158 and had an average of $23,267 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 4,118 natural resources and conservation graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,801 and $23,385 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in natural resources and conservation. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality natural resources and conservation programs as well as strong veteran support.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the natural resources and conservation program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree vets studying natural resources & conservation.
Top 19 Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 165 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 47,907 students enrolled at U-M, 570 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 325 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $27,058. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. U-M does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 undergraduate students.
Full U-M Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 65 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also took the #2 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 44,640 students enrolled at University of Wisconsin - Madison, 4 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.According to our most recent data, Ohio State University - Main Campus supports 61,369 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ohio State University - Main Campus offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Of the 46,655 students enrolled at Purdue, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,765. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Purdue University - Main Campus]](/colleges/purdue-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 48 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Of the 43,064 students enrolled at IU Bloomington, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. IU Bloomington does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at Indiana University - Bloomington]](/colleges/indiana-university-bloomington/student-life/veterans/)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 15 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 52,679 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 10 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.
Full UIUC Veteran Student Life Report
Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Oxford, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 24 degrees to qualified masters’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Miami University - Oxford, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 405 of the 18,880 students enrolled at Miami University - Oxford were GI Bill® students, of which 259 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,877. To help with additional expenses, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Miami University - Oxford Veteran Student Life Report
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s ranking. UW - Green Bay is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Green Bay, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, UW - Green Bay supports 8,954 students, and 362 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 200 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,302. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UW - Green Bay offers credit for military training for eligible students.
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Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
SIUC also took the #15 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, SIUC supports 11,366 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. SIUC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 8 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
UWM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 24,565 students enrolled at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, 983 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 494 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,519. During this same period, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s list. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 17 degrees to qualified masters’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree vets studying natural resources & conservation list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 8,302 students enrolled at UW - Stevens Point, 343 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 129 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,195. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Loyola University Chicago came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 10 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Of the 16,893 students enrolled at Loyola Chicago, 261 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 165 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,263. To help with additional expenses, 78 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full Loyola Chicago Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #13, Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s list. OHIO Athens is a large school located in Athens, Ohio that handed out 10 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree vets studying natural resources & conservation list, OHIO Athens has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 726 of the 25,714 students enrolled at OHIO Athens were GI Bill® students, of which 324 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,725. To help with additional expenses, 10 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at OHIO Athens]](/colleges/ohio-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)
Michigan State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s ranking. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree vets studying natural resources & conservation list, Michigan State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Michigan State supports 49,695 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,686. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…
Cleveland State University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s list. Cleveland State University is a public institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cleveland State University also took the #16 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Cleveland State University supports 15,247 students, and 411 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 169 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,076. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Read More…
University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #16. UM Dearborn is a medium-sized public school situated in Dearborn, Michigan. It awarded 5 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UM Dearborn, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 159 of the 8,783 students enrolled at UM Dearborn were GI Bill® students, of which 111 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,134. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at UM Dearborn]](/colleges/university-of-michigan-dearborn/student-life/veterans/)
DePaul University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified masters’s natural resources and conservation students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Of the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul, 528 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,957. In addition to receiving other benefits, 101 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full DePaul University Veteran Student Life Report
Michigan Technological University ranked #18 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s list. Michigan Tech is a medium-sized school located in Houghton, Michigan that handed out 8 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 6,873 students enrolled at Michigan Technological University, 126 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 70 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,246. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Natural Resources & Conservation for a Master’s list. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 14 masters’s natural resources and conservation degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIS, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Natural Resources & Conservation Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 214 of the 4,146 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Springfield were GI Bill® students, of which 106 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,253. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Illinois at Springfield offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UIS]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-springfield/student-life/veterans/)
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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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- 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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