2023 Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools
Finding the Best Natural Resources & Conservation School for You
Natural Resources & Conservation is the #25 most popular major in the country with 30,503 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 299 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Natural Resources & Conservation Colleges.
Top 25 Top Schools in Natural Resources & Conservation
Our analysis found Pennsylvania College of Technology to be the best school for natural resources and conservation students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Located in the small city of Williamsport, Penn College is a public school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that natural resources and conservation majors at Penn College take out is $12,000.
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The excellent programs at Columbia Southern University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best natural resources and conservation schools in the United States. Columbia Southern University is a large private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Orange Beach.
The average amount in student loans that natural resources and conservation majors at Columbia Southern University take out is $29,045.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Duke University is a great place for natural resources and conservation students. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that natural resources and conservation majors at Duke take out is $11,140.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Massachusetts Maritime Academy. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools list. Maritime is a small public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Buzzards Bay.
The average amount in student loans that natural resources and conservation majors at Maritime take out is $25,575.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Denver is a great place for natural resources and conservation students. DU is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Denver.
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Webster University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for natural resources and conservation students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, Webster is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
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Yale University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools ranking. Located in the city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
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Harvard University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best natural resources and conservation programs. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
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University of California - Berkeley ranked #9 on this year’s Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools list. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that natural resources and conservation majors at UC Berkeley take out is $12,500. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $275.
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University of Houston - Clear Lake did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for natural resources and conservation students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Houston, UH Clear Lake is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
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University of Maryland Global Campus landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best natural resources and conservation programs. UMGC is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Adelphi.
On average, natural resources and conservation graduates from UMGC take out $14,031 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Purdue University Global came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools ranking. Purdue University Global is a fairly large public school located in the city of Indianapolis.
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American Public University System landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best natural resources and conservation programs. American Military University is a very large private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Charles Town.
After completing their degree, natural resources and conservation graduates from American Military University carry an average student debtload of $25,250.
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Dartmouth College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools ranking. Located in the remote town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
Natural Resources & Conservation majors at Dartmouth take out an average of $13,260 in student loans while working on their egree.
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North Carolina State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools list. Located in the city of Raleigh, NC State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, natural resources and conservation graduates from NC State carry an average student debtload of $22,854. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $254.
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South Dakota State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for natural resources and conservation students. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
On average, natural resources and conservation graduates from South Dakota State take out $24,874 in student loans while working on their degree.
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California State University - Fullerton landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best natural resources and conservation programs. Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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Virginia Tech did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for natural resources and conservation students. It came in at #19 on the list. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Blacksburg.
The average amount in student loans that natural resources and conservation majors at Virginia Tech take out is $24,083.
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Seton Hall University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools list. Seton Hall is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of South Orange.
While working on their degree, natural resources and conservation majors at Seton Hall accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #21, Emory University did quite well on this year’s best schools for natural resources and conservation students. Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, natural resources and conservation majors at Emory accumulate an average of around $19,000 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #22, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on this year’s best schools for natural resources and conservation students. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, natural resources and conservation graduates from UCLA carry an average student debtload of $17,806.
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Brown University landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best natural resources and conservation programs. Brown is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Providence.
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University of North Georgia came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools ranking. Located in the distant town of Dahlonega, UNG is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Natural Resources & Conservation majors at UNG take out an average of $18,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools ranking. Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
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Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Natural Resources & Conservation students that almost earned our Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | University of Houston | Houston, TX |
| 46 | Brandeis University | Waltham, MA |
| 47 | San Jose State University | San Jose, CA |
| 48 | University of California - Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| 49 | University of Minnesota - Duluth | Duluth, MN |
| 50 | University of California - Davis | Davis, CA |
| 51 | American University | Washington, DC |
| 52 | University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville, VA |
| 53 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | Shippensburg, PA |
| 54 | Santa Clara University | Santa Clara, CA |
| 55 | University of Wisconsin - Green Bay | Green Bay, WI |
| 56 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL |
| 57 | Northeastern University | Boston, MA |
| 58 | Occidental College | Los Angeles, CA |
| 59 | Denison University | Granville, OH |
Natural Resources & Conservation by Region
View the Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Natural Resources & Conservation Rankings
Natural Resources & Conservation Related Rankings by Major
Natural Resources & Conservation Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Natural Resources Conservation | 22,254 |
| Natural Resource Management | 2,933 |
| Wildlife Management | 2,449 |
| Forestry | 2,233 |
| Fisheries Sciences | 483 |
| Natural Resources Conservation (Other) | 151 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Natural Resources & Conservation
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Computer & Information Sciences | 254,454 |
| Engineering | 198,468 |
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 177,778 |
| Engineering Technologies | 85,188 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 52,396 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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