---

2026 Best Value Wildlife Management Schools in California

[Wildlife Management](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/wildlife-management/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong wildlife management education at a price that pays off.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for wildlife management students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Wildlife Management Schools in California

2026 Best Value Wildlife Management Schools in California

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in wildlife management, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Wildlife Management Schools

1

Humboldt State University
Arcata, CA

$8,397 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,500 Avg Student Debt

$47,626 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Humboldt State University, our #1 best value for wildlife management in California. Humboldt State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Arcata. In-state tuition and fees average $8,397, compared with $20,997 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for wildlife management graduates is $22,500. Early-career wildlife management graduates make about $26,325. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.

2

University Of California Davis
Davis, CA

$15,804 In-State Tuition & Fees

$15,499 Avg Student Debt

$80,838 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of California Davis came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value wildlife management schools. Located in the suburb of Davis, University Of California Davis is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $15,804 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $47,692. Students borrow a median of $15,499 to complete the wildlife management program here. Soon after graduation, wildlife management degree recipients from University Of California Davis generally make around $29,896. That is a strong return on a $15,499 median debt. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.

View All Wildlife Management Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• 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.