Natural Resources & Conservation degree programs are on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of popularity. In fact, the major ranks #25 out of the 38 majors we look at each year. While this may limit the number of schools that offer the degree program, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 241 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 31,316 degrees in natural resources & conservation annually.
Choosing a Great Natural Resources & Conservation School
Your choice of natural resources & conservation school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Natural Resources & Conservation School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Natural Resources & Conservation Rankings by Degree Level
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 Natural Resources & Conservation Schools list to help you make the college decision.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
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.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Schools for Natural Resources & Conservation in the United States
The schools below may not offer all types of natural resources & conservation degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
25 Top Schools in Natural Resources & Conservation
University of California - Berkeley is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in natural resources & conservation. UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were approximately 550 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Those natural resources & conservation students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley earn $10,540 more than the standard natural resources & conservation graduate.
Any student pursuing a degree in natural resources & conservation has to look into Duke University. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.
There were approximately 176 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. Natural Resources & Conservation degree recipients from Duke University get an earnings boost of approximately $22,494 above the typical earnings of natural resources & conservation graduates.
BS in Environmental Science - Natural Resources & ConservationProgram Name
Develop a broad-based interdisciplinary skill set to solve complex environmental problems like climate change, alternative energy and sustainability with a specialized online degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
It's hard to beat Texas A&M University - College Station if you wish to pursue a degree in natural resources & conservation. Located in the medium-sized city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Texas A&M College Station is a great university overall.
There were roughly 357 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent data year. After graduation, natural resources & conservation degree recipients typically earn about $35,434 in their early careers.
It's hard to beat University of Washington - Seattle Campus if you want to pursue a degree in natural resources & conservation. Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #44 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.
There were approximately 261 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the natural resources & conservation program state that they receive average early career wages of $35,991.
Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 367 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the natural resources & conservation program state that they receive average early career income of $36,209.
Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.
There were about 485 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, natural resources & conservation degree recipients generally make an average of $29,238 in their early careers.
Located in the small city of Amherst, UMass Amherst is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
There were approximately 177 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UMass Amherst in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the natural resources & conservation program state that they receive average early career wages of $31,654.
Learn to analyze environmental issues and repair and prevent damage caused by climate change with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
U-M is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.
There were approximately 352 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Those natural resources & conservation students who get their degree from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor earn $7,282 more than the average natural resources & conservation student.
Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were roughly 110 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, natural resources & conservation degree recipients typically earn an average of $31,944 in the first five years of their career.
NC State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Raleigh. This university ranks 4th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.
There were about 347 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the natural resources & conservation program at North Carolina State University get $7,059 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were about 88 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year.
WWU is a large public university located in the city of Bellingham. This university ranks 5th out of 50 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.
There were roughly 229.00000000000003 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at WWU in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the natural resources & conservation program make about $30,899 for their early career.
Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.
There were approximately 222 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the natural resources & conservation program report average early career earnings of $34,603.
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 406 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the natural resources & conservation program make about $38,353 in their early career salary.
UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Santa Cruz. This university ranks 13th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 167 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent data year. After graduation, natural resources & conservation degree recipients usually earn around $29,152 in the first five years of their career.
MBA in Sustainability & Environmental ComplianceProgram Name
Learn to fit environmental standards into your business practices when you earn your sustainability and environmental compliance MBA at Southern New Hampshire University.
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #35 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.
There were about 117 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Those natural resources & conservation students who get their degree from University of Virginia - Main Campus make $3,382 more than the average natural resources & conservation graduate.
Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.
There were approximately 106 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Natural Resources & Conservation degree recipients from Cornell University receive an earnings boost of about $3,213 above the average income of natural resources & conservation graduates.
Northeastern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northeastern is a great university overall.
There were about 95 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the natural resources & conservation degree program at Northeastern University make $12,729 more than the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. This school ranks 2nd out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were approximately 412 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Natural Resources & Conservation degree recipients from Virginia Tech earn a boost of approximately $8,040 over the typical earnings of natural resources & conservation majors.
Located in the town of Storrs, UCONN is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 18 colleges for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.
There were roughly 125 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UCONN in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the natural resources & conservation program earn about $26,899 in the first couple years of their career.
UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.
There were approximately 148 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, natural resources & conservation degree recipients generally make about $34,567 in their early careers.
UVM is a fairly large public university located in the city of Burlington. This university ranks 4th out of 9 schools for overall quality in the state of Vermont.
There were about 277 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UVM in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the natural resources & conservation program earn around $26,871 in the first couple years of their career.
Located in the large city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 26 schools for overall quality in the state of Arizona.
There were about 173 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at University of Arizona in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the natural resources & conservation program make around $30,645 for their early career.
The American University is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. This university ranks 3rd out of 7 colleges for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.
There were approximately 68 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the natural resources & conservation degree program at American University get $35,123 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 37 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.
There were approximately 124 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the natural resources & conservation program earn about $38,419 for their early career.
Here are some additional great schools for Natural Resources & Conservation students that almost earned our Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools award.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
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.
Your choice of natural resources & conservation school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Natural Resources & Conservation School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
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