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Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools

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2023 Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools

1,159 Colleges
$35,158 Avg Salary
$23,267 Avg Student Debt

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 Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 1,159 schools in the United States to see which programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Natural Resources & Conservation program at each school on the list.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for natural resources and conservation majors pursuing a .

Our 2023 rankings named University of California - Berkeley the most popular school in the United States for natural resources and conservation students. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Natural Resources & Conservation majors at UC Berkeley take out an average of $12,500 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $275.

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#2

Oregon State University

Corvallis, OR

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Oregon State University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools list. Located in the small city of Corvallis, Oregon State is a public school with a very large student population.

While working on their degree, natural resources and conservation majors at Oregon State accumulate an average of around $31,603 in student debt.

Full Natural Resources & Conservation at Oregon State University Report

The excellent programs at University of Wisconsin - Madison helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best natural resources and conservation schools in the United States. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, natural resources and conservation majors at UW - Madison accumulate an average of around $21,500 in student debt.

Full Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Wisconsin - Madison Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend American Public University System. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools list. American Military University is a very large private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Charles Town.

On average, natural resources and conservation graduates from American Military University take out $25,250 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at American Public University System

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools list. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public college with a very large student population.

On average, natural resources and conservation graduates from UCSB take out $18,500 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $310.

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#6

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

Virginia Tech landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular natural resources and conservation programs. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.

While working on their degree, natural resources and conservation majors at Virginia Tech accumulate an average of around $24,083 in student debt.

Full Natural Resources & Conservation at Virginia Tech Report

Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular natural resources and conservation programs. Texas A&M College Station is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of College Station.

On average, natural resources and conservation graduates from Texas A&M College Station take out $22,229 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $265.

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University of California - Davis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public school with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, natural resources and conservation graduates from UC Davis carry an average student debt load of $15,533. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $259.

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North Carolina State University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular natural resources and conservation programs. Located in the city of Raleigh, NC State is a public college with a very large student population.

While working on their degree, natural resources and conservation majors at NC State accumulate an average of around $22,854 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $254.

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Humboldt State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular natural resources and conservation programs. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school located in the remote town of Arcata.

The average amount in student loans that natural resources and conservation majors at Humboldt State University take out is $22,691.

Full Natural Resources & Conservation at Humboldt State University Report

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular natural resources and conservation programs. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that natural resources and conservation majors at U-M take out is $18,359. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $168, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Report

Southern New Hampshire University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools list. SNHU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Manchester.

The average amount in student loans that natural resources and conservation majors at SNHU take out is $29,379.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at Southern New Hampshire University

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #13 on this year’s Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools list. UW - Stevens Point is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Stevens Point.

On average, natural resources and conservation graduates from UW - Stevens Point take out $24,008 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#14

University of Vermont

Burlington, VT

University of Vermont did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for natural resources and conservation students. It came in at #14 on the list. Located in the city of Burlington, UVM is a public college with a large student population.

Natural Resources & Conservation majors at UVM take out an average of $20,687 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $570.

Full Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Vermont Report

#15

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

University of Florida landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular natural resources and conservation programs. Located in the midsize city of Gainesville, UF is a public college with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, natural resources and conservation graduates from UF carry an average student debt load of $18,235.

Full Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Florida Report

Colorado State University - Fort Collins came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools ranking. Located in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, natural resources and conservation majors at Colorado State accumulate an average of around $22,904 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $376, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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University of Colorado Boulder came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools ranking. CU - Boulder is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Boulder.

After completing their degree, natural resources and conservation graduates from CU - Boulder carry an average student debt load of $19,500. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $486.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Colorado Boulder

#18

Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA

Western Washington University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for natural resources and conservation students. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in the small city of Bellingham, WWU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Natural Resources & Conservation majors at WWU take out an average of $21,187 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $354, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Natural Resources & Conservation at Western Washington University Report

#19

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

Harvard University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools list. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

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#20

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, AZ

Northern Arizona University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular natural resources and conservation programs. NAU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Flagstaff.

After completing their degree, natural resources and conservation graduates from NAU carry an average student debt load of $20,314. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $373.

Read More…

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for natural resources and conservation students. It came in at #21 on the list. UW Seattle is a fairly large public school located in the city of Seattle.

While working on their degree, natural resources and conservation majors at UW Seattle accumulate an average of around $18,613 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $257.

Read full report on Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry ranked #22 on this year’s Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Syracuse, ESF is a public school with a small student population.

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With a ranking of #23, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for natural resources and conservation students. UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Minneapolis.

Natural Resources & Conservation majors at UMN Twin Cities take out an average of $23,349 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $334.

Full Natural Resources & Conservation at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular natural resources and conservation programs. Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public school with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that natural resources and conservation majors at Ohio State take out is $24,875. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $305.

Read More…

#25

The University of Montana

Missoula, MT

The University of Montana ranked #25 on this year’s Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools list. UM is a large public school located in the city of Missoula.

After completing their degree, natural resources and conservation graduates from UM carry an average student debt load of $20,740. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $260.

Read More…

#28

University of Denver

Denver, CO
#29

University of Idaho

Moscow, ID
#30

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI
#31

Duke University

Durham, NC
#32

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV
#33

University of Georgia

Athens, GA
#34

Auburn University

Auburn, AL
#36

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL
#36

University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ
#40

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, MS
#41

Yale University

New Haven, CT
#42

University of Maine

Orono, ME
#45

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA
#49

University of Rhode Island

Kingston, RI
#50

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN

Remaining Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the schools awarded a Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 1159 different United States natural resources and conservation schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
51 Unity College Unity, ME
53 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
53 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
55 Cornell University Ithaca, NY
56 Clemson University Clemson, SC
57 Utah State University Logan, UT
58 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
59 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
60 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
60 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
60 University of Delaware Newark, DE
63 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
63 Columbia Southern University Orange Beach, AL
65 Front Range Community College Westminster, CO
65 Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science Paul Smiths, NY
67 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
67 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
67 Hocking College Nelsonville, OH
70 Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX
71 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
71 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
73 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
74 Northeastern University Boston, MA
75 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
75 Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon, WA
75 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
78 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
79 Stockton University Galloway, NJ
80 California State University - Monterey Bay Seaside, CA
80 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
82 University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD
83 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
83 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
83 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
86 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
86 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
88 Montana State University Bozeman, MT
88 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
88 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY
91 Portland State University Portland, OR
92 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
92 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
94 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
95 Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX
96 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
96 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
98 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD
99 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
100 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
101 Antioch University - New England Keene, NH
102 Vermilion Community College Ely, MN
103 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
103 Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI
103 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
103 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
103 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN
108 American University Washington, DC
108 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
108 University of Chicago Chicago, IL
111 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
111 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
113 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
113 Western Colorado University Gunnison, CO
113 Delaware Valley University Doylestown, PA
113 SUNY Cobleskill Cobleskill, NY
117 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
117 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay, WI
119 University of North Carolina at Asheville Asheville, NC
119 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
119 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
122 Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX
122 Clark University Worcester, MA
122 Eckerd College Saint Petersburg, FL
122 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
126 The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN
127 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
127 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL
129 Reedley College Reedley, CA
129 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
129 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
132 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
132 Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI
132 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
135 Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FL
136 California State University - Channel Islands Camarillo, CA
137 Ogeechee Technical College Statesboro, GA
137 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
137 California State University - San Marcos San Marcos, CA
137 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
137 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
137 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
137 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
144 George Washington University Washington, DC
144 Tufts University Medford, MA
144 Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH
144 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
144 Towson University Towson, MD
149 Northwestern University Evanston, IL
150 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
151 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
151 Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN
151 Boise State University Boise, ID
151 Coastal Pines Technical College Waycross, GA
155 St Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s City, MD
155 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
155 St Petersburg College Clearwater, FL
158 Colby College Waterville, ME
158 Citrus College Glendora, CA
158 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
158 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
162 The University of Arizona Global Campus San Diego, CA
162 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
162 Haywood Community College Clyde, NC
162 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI
166 Green River College Auburn, WA
166 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
166 Baylor University Waco, TX
169 Texas A&M University - Kingsville Kingsville, TX
169 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
169 Mt. Hood Community College Gresham, OR
172 Finger Lakes Community College Canandaigua, NY
172 Florida International University Miami, FL
172 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
172 University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional popular schools for Natural Resources & Conservation students that almost earned our Most Popular Natural Resources & Conservation Schools award.

Rank College Location
176 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH
176 Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO
176 Flagler College - St Augustine Saint Augustine, FL
176 Southern Oregon University Ashland, OR
180 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
180 California State University - Chico Chico, CA
180 Northland College Ashland, WI
180 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
180 New Mexico State University - Main Campus Las Cruces, NM
180 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
186 Westfield State University Westfield, MA
186 Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buzzards Bay, MA
186 Lake Superior State University Sault Ste Marie, MI
189 The University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
189 Webster University Saint Louis, MO
189 Emory University Atlanta, GA
189 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
193 University of Redlands Redlands, CA
193 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ
195 Stanford University Stanford, CA
195 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA
195 Colorado Northwestern Community College Rangely, CO
195 Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO
195 University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA
195 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
201 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA
201 Southwest Texas Junior College Uvalde, TX
201 Hawkeye Community College Waterloo, IA
201 The College at Brockport Brockport, NY
201 Missouri State University - Springfield Springfield, MO
201 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
207 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
207 Fort Lewis College Durango, CO
207 Queens College Queens, NY
207 American River College Sacramento, CA
207 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
207 Ball State University Muncie, IN
213 Southern Regional Technical College Thomasville, GA
213 Brown University Providence, RI
213 Bellingham Technical College Bellingham, WA
213 Sul Ross State University Alpine, TX
213 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
213 Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH
219 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA
219 University of Hawaii at Hilo Hilo, HI
219 The University of Tampa Tampa, FL
219 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
219 Prescott College Prescott, AZ
219 Vincennes University Vincennes, IN
219 Fordham University Bronx, NY
219 The University of Tennessee - Martin Martin, TN
219 Wayne Community College Goldsboro, NC
219 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
219 University of Houston - Clear Lake Houston, TX
219 Wesleyan University Middletown, CT
219 University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA

Natural Resources & Conservation by Region

View the Most Popular 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

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 25 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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