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Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois

2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

8 Colleges
$30,835 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$33,825 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Natural Resources & Conservation School for You

Natural Resources & Conservation is the #27 most popular major in Illinois with 596 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 8 schools in Illinois to see which programs offered the best value experiences for natural resources and conservation students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

Best Illinois Schools for Affordable Quality in Natural Resources & Conservation

$12,053 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found University of Illinois at Springfield to be the best value school for natural resources and conservation students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Located in the city of Springfield, UIS is a public college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIS are $12,053 per year.

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$14,738 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Northern Illinois University is a great value for natural resources and conservation students. Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public school with a large student population.

NIU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,738 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, natural resources and conservation graduates from NIU carry an average student debtload of $22,500.

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$17,634 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois list. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Champaign.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIUC are $17,634 per year. While working on their degree, natural resources and conservation majors at UIUC accumulate an average of around $15,000 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $258.

UIUC not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois list.

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$15,240 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Southern Illinois University Carbondale helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best natural resources and conservation schools in Illinois. Located in the small city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SIUC are $15,240 per year. The average amount in student loans that natural resources and conservation majors at SIUC take out is $22,250.

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$47,808 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Loyola University Chicago helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best natural resources and conservation schools in Illinois. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

Loyola Chicago undergraduate students pay an average of $47,808 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Natural Resources & Conservation majors at Loyola Chicago take out an average of $24,000 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $561.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Loyola Chicago also is in the top 20% of our Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois ranking.

Full Natural Resources & Conservation at Loyola University Chicago Report

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#6

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL
$46,189 Average Tuition & Fees

Augustana College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the city of Rock Island, Augustana is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Augustana undergraduate students pay an average of $46,189 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Natural Resources & Conservation majors at Augustana take out an average of $26,276 in student loans while working on their egree.

Augustana also claimed a spot on our Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

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#7

DePaul University

Chicago, IL
$42,012 Average Tuition & Fees

DePaul University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value natural resources and conservation programs. DePaul is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at DePaul are $42,012 per year. After completing their degree, natural resources and conservation graduates from DePaul carry an average student debtload of $19,250.

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#8

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL
$51,002 Average Tuition & Fees

Lake Forest College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois list. Lake Forest is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Lake Forest.

Lake Forest undergraduate students pay an average of $51,002 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Lake Forest also did well on our Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Illinois list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Full Natural Resources & Conservation at Lake Forest College Report

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Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Indiana 447
Michigan 964
Ohio 878
Wisconsin 936

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

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 8 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 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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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