2026 Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Colorado
Natural Resources & Conservation programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 18 schools to find the best for natural resources & conservation students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Natural Resources & Conservation in Colorado
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the natural resources & conservation degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Natural Resources & Conservation
No school ranked higher than University Of Denver this year for natural resources & conservation. Located in the city of Denver, University Of Denver is a large private not-for-profit university. Roughly 76% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Denver awarded about 208 natural resources & conservation degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the natural resources & conservation program make about $69,122 in their early career. University Of Denver graduates carry a median of $25,899 in student loans.
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University Of Colorado Boulder is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in natural resources & conservation, landing the #2 spot this year. This very large public university is located in the city of Boulder. Roughly 74% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Colorado Boulder awarded about 281 natural resources & conservation degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, natural resources & conservation degree recipients from University Of Colorado Boulder generally make around $44,268. Students borrow a median of $21,000 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University Of Colorado Boulder
Mesa State College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in natural resources & conservation, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Grand Junction, Mesa State College is a large public university. Roughly 47% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 27 natural resources & conservation degrees were awarded at Mesa State College in the most recent year. Students who receive their natural resources & conservation degree from Mesa State College earn around $43,617 in the first couple years of their career. Mesa State College graduates carry a median of $22,310 in student loans.
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Colorado State University Fort Collins came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best natural resources & conservation schools. Set in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public institution. Colorado State University Fort Collins graduates 66% of students within six years. There were roughly 284 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Colorado State University Fort Collins in the most recent data year. Students who receive their natural resources & conservation degree from Colorado State University Fort Collins earn around $42,622 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $22,388.
See the full natural resources & conservation program report for Colorado State University Fort Collins
Front Range Community College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in natural resources & conservation, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Westminster, Front Range Community College is a very large public institution. About 55 natural resources & conservation degrees were awarded at Front Range Community College in the most recent year. Students who receive their natural resources & conservation degree from Front Range Community College earn around $36,860 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $19,677.
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Colorado Mountain College earned the #6 position for natural resources & conservation this year. Located in the town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado Mountain College is a moderately-sized public university. Colorado Mountain College graduates 14% of students within six years. There were roughly 12 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Colorado Mountain College in the most recent data year. Graduates of the natural resources & conservation program make about $48,694 in their early career. Colorado Mountain College graduates carry a median of $12,953 in student loans.
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University Of Colorado Denver ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best natural resources & conservation schools. This very large public university is located in the city of Denver. About 46% of students finish within six years. University Of Colorado Denver awarded about 14 natural resources & conservation degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, natural resources & conservation degree recipients from University Of Colorado Denver generally make around $52,302. Typical student debt for the program is $26,582.
More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from University Of Colorado Denver
Metropolitan State College Of Denver placed #8 among the best natural resources & conservation schools. Set in the city of Denver, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a very large public institution. Roughly 31% of students complete a degree within six years here. Metropolitan State College Of Denver awarded about 50 natural resources & conservation degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their natural resources & conservation degree from Metropolitan State College Of Denver earn around $44,236 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,370.
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Colorado Northwestern Community College placed #9 among the best natural resources & conservation schools. This small public university is located in the rural area of Rangely. There were roughly 28 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Colorado Northwestern Community College in the most recent data year. Graduates of the natural resources & conservation program make about $38,698 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,250.
See the full natural resources & conservation program report for Colorado Northwestern Community College
Colorado College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best natural resources & conservation schools. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Colorado Springs. About 88% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 59 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Colorado College in the most recent data year. Graduates of the natural resources & conservation program make about $17,372 in their early career. Colorado College graduates carry a median of $15,000 in student loans.
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Fort Lewis College ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best natural resources & conservation schools. This mid-sized public university is located in the town of Durango. Roughly 36% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 48 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Fort Lewis College in the most recent data year. Natural Resources & Conservation graduates of Fort Lewis College earn a median of $22,541 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $21,477 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in natural resources & conservation from Fort Lewis College
Western State College Of Colorado earned the #12 position for natural resources & conservation this year. Set in the town of Gunnison, Western State College Of Colorado is a moderately-sized public institution. Western State College Of Colorado graduates 50% of students within six years. Western State College Of Colorado awarded about 44 natural resources & conservation degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the natural resources & conservation program make about $31,739 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $21,612.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 18 schools evaluated.
- 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.
