by our College Data Analytics Team
[Wildlife Management](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/wildlife-management/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a wildlife management degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find where wildlife management graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose wildlife management graduates go on to earn the most.
Our analysis ranked Valley City State University the top school for wildlife management graduate earnings in the The Plains States Region. Valley City State University is a public school located in the town of Valley City. After graduating, wildlife management degree recipients from Valley City State University typically earn about $50,283 annually.
South Dakota State University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying wildlife management schools. South Dakota State University is a public school located in the town of Brookings. After graduating, wildlife management degree recipients from South Dakota State University typically earn about $47,857 annually.
A rank of #3 makes Northwest Missouri State University one of the highest-paying schools for wildlife management. Located in the town of Maryville, Northwest Missouri State University is a public institution. Students who complete the wildlife management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $41,041.
Strong graduate earnings at Bemidji State University earned it the #4 place for wildlife management. Bemidji State University is a public school located in the town of Bemidji. After graduating, wildlife management degree recipients from Bemidji State University typically earn about $35,806 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Missouri Western State University earned it the #5 place for wildlife management. Set in the city of Saint Joseph, Missouri Western State University is a public institution. Early-career wildlife management graduates from Missouri Western State University make a median of around $32,199 per year.
Missouri State University Springfield earned the #6 position for wildlife management graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a public institution. After graduating, wildlife management degree recipients from Missouri State University Springfield typically earn about $26,549 annually.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their wildlife management graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 6 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.