College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in California

27 Colleges in California
4,046 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$36,789 Avg Early-Career Salary
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.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 27 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for natural resources & conservation students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 4,046 degrees in natural resources & conservation during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Natural Resources & Conservation School

Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in California The natural resources & conservation program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Natural Resources & Conservation rankings. 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.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Natural Resources & Conservation Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Natural Resources & Conservation
Master's Degrees in Natural Resources & Conservation
Doctor's Degrees in Natural Resources & Conservation

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 the Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in California. 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.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Natural Resources & Conservation in California

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.

10 Top California Schools in Natural Resources & Conservation

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
616 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$51,358 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in natural resources & conservation needs to check out University of California - Berkeley. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 616 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Natural Resources & Conservation degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley receive an earnings boost of approximately $14,569 over the average income of natural resources & conservation majors.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of California - Berkeley

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
101 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
21.8% Growth in Graduates

University of California - Los Angeles is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in natural resources & conservation. UCLA is a very large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were about 101 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the natural resources & conservation program earn around $36,898 for their early career.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of California - Los Angeles

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
370 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$30,105 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in natural resources & conservation needs to take a look at University of California - Davis. UC Davis is a very large public university located in the suburb of Davis. A Best Colleges rank of #52 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were roughly 370 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, natural resources & conservation degree recipients typically make around $30,105 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of California - Davis

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
470 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
6.8% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in natural resources & conservation has to take a look at University of California - Santa Barbara. UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were about 470 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Natural Resources & Conservation degree recipients from University of California - Santa Barbara get an earnings boost of approximately $5,711 above the typical earnings of natural resources & conservation graduates.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of California - Santa Barbara

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$34,369 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.

There were about 56 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the natural resources & conservation program report average early career wages of $34,369.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of California - Irvine

6
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
10.9% Growth in Graduates

SCU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Santa Clara. A Best Colleges rank of #50 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.

There were about 46 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, natural resources & conservation degree recipients usually make about $33,333 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from Santa Clara University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
227 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
$28,054 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #102 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.

There were about 227 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, natural resources & conservation degree recipients generally make about $28,054 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of California - Santa Cruz

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
109 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
10.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 109 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at SDSU 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 earnings of $33,271.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from San Diego State University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
20.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.

There were roughly 83 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, natural resources & conservation degree recipients usually earn an average of $29,140 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University of California - San Diego

10
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Natural Resources & Conservation Degrees Awarded
53.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Los Angeles, Oxy is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #180 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Oxy is a great college overall.

There were approximately 32 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Oxy in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, natural resources & conservation degree recipients typically make around $29,948 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from Occidental College

Best Natural Resources & Conservation Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Natural Resources & Conservation Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 37 835
Oregon 37 885
Hawaii 36 129
Nevada 35 107
Alaska 33 68

View All Rankings >

Natural Resources & Conservation Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Natural Resources Conservation 3,504
Forestry 212
Wildlife Management 188
Natural Resource Management 128
Fisheries Sciences 14

View All Natural Resources & Conservation Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options