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 2024, College Factual analyzed 7 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in North Carolina ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,321 degrees in natural resources & conservation to qualified students.
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
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 North Carolina.
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.
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.
Learn to analyze environmental issues and repair and prevent damage caused by climate change with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
Best Schools for Natural Resources & Conservation in North Carolina
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.
Top North Carolina Schools in Natural Resources & Conservation
Duke University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in natural resources & conservation. Located in the 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 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.
There were roughly 195 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Natural Resources & Conservation degree recipients from Duke University receive an earnings boost of around $14,221 above the typical income of natural resources & conservation graduates.
North Carolina State University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in natural resources & conservation. NC State is a very large public university located in the large city of Raleigh. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NC State is a great university overall.
There were roughly 333 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent year we have data available. Natural Resources & Conservation degree recipients from North Carolina State University earn a boost of approximately $11,468 above the typical income of natural resources & conservation majors.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in natural resources & conservation. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #43 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.
There were about 154 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the natural resources & conservation program report average early career wages of $29,460.
University of North Carolina at Wilmington is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in natural resources & conservation. Located in the city of Wilmington, UNCW is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.
There were roughly 120 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UNCW 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 $30,384.
Located in the town of Boone, Appalachian State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 9th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.
There were roughly 123 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at Appalachian State in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, natural resources & conservation degree recipients typically make about $21,973 at the beginning of their careers.
Located in the small city of Asheville, UNCA is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 57th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.
There were roughly 60 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at UNCA in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the natural resources & conservation program earn an average of $24,753 in the first couple years of their career.
WCU is a fairly large public university located in the town of Cullowhee. This university ranks 17th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.
There were approximately 41 natural resources & conservation students who graduated with this degree at WCU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, natural resources & conservation degree recipients usually make about $28,330 in the first five years of their career.
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.
college factual
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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