2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Natural Resources & Conservation School for You
Out of all the majors we analyze each year, natural resources and conservation was ranked #25 in the country. In fact 30,503 degrees and certificates were handed out 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. 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.
The Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 11 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region to see which ones offered the best value programs for natural resources and conservation students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
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.
Top 10 Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools
Our analysis found Brigham Young University - Idaho to be the best value school for natural resources and conservation students who want to pursue a degree in the Rocky Mountains Region . BYU - I is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the town of Rexburg.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BYU - I are $4,416 a year.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Wyoming. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in the town of Laramie, UW is a public college with a fairly large student population.
UW undergraduate students pay an average of $16,957 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, natural resources and conservation graduates from UW carry an average student debtload of $18,250.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Utah State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. USU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Logan.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at USU are $23,435 per year. While working on their degree, natural resources and conservation majors at USU accumulate an average of around $21,250 in student debt.
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The excellent programs at University of Denver helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best natural resources and conservation schools in the Rocky Mountains Region . Located in the city of Denver, DU is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at DU are $54,819 per year.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Western Colorado University is a great value for natural resources and conservation students. Located in the remote town of Gunnison, Western is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Western are $22,446 per year. The average amount in student loans that natural resources and conservation majors at Western take out is $23,081.
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Out of the 11 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Colorado State University - Fort Collins landed the # 5 spot on the list. Colorado State is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Fort Collins.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Colorado State are $31,470 a year. After completing their degree, natural resources and conservation graduates from Colorado State carry an average student debtload of $22,904. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $376, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Colorado State not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
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With a ranking of #7, Fort Lewis College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for natural resources and conservation students. FLC is a small public school located in the town of Durango.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at FLC are $19,660 a year. Natural Resources & Conservation majors at FLC take out an average of $14,951 in student loans while working on their egree.
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With a ranking of #8, Metropolitan State University of Denver did quite well on this year’s best value schools for natural resources and conservation students. Located in the large city of Denver, MSU Denver is a public school with a fairly large student population.
MSU Denver undergraduate students pay an average of $27,502 in tuition and fees each year. Natural Resources & Conservation majors at MSU Denver take out an average of $26,250 in student loans while working on their egree.
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University of Idaho landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value natural resources and conservation programs. Located in the town of Moscow, U of I is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at U of I are $27,576 per year. On average, natural resources and conservation graduates from U of I take out $20,856 in student loans while working on their degree.
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University of Colorado Boulder ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in the midsize city of Boulder, CU - Boulder is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at CU - Boulder are $38,358 a year. The average amount in student loans that natural resources and conservation majors at CU - Boulder take out is $19,500. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $486.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, CU - Boulder also did well on our Best Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Request InformationBest Natural Resources & Conservation Colleges by State
Explore the best natural resources and conservation colleges for a specific state in the Rocky Mountains region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Colorado | 999 |
| Utah | 261 |
| Montana | 363 |
| Idaho | 289 |
| Wyoming | 105 |
More Natural Resources & Conservation Rankings in the Rocky Mountains Region
Majors Related to Natural Resources & Conservation
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 11 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.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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