Only 20 colleges in the country offer Natural Resources and Conservation, which means graduates enter the workforce from a smaller, more specialized pool. Median earnings four years out: $48,754.
This page covers Natural Resources and Conservation as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Natural Resources and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Natural Resources and Conservation is a focused area of study within Natural Resources. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $48,754 four years out, a modest return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 20 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 150 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. Training is practical and skills-based, with a fast path from classroom to job site.
Four years after finishing Natural Resources and Conservation, a typical graduate earns $48,754, below average for bachelor's degree holders. Half of earners land somewhere between $35,655 and $68,375, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $34,422 at one year out to $48,754 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
What that figure means in practice depends on what the degree cost to get, which is a matter of lifetime earnings against total outlay.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
Below average for bachelor's degree holders.
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Not every Natural Resources and Conservation graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out a moderate amount, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Region and union membership drive the gap more than any other factor. Union jobs in high-cost metros pay significantly more than non-union positions elsewhere.
Solid ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $48,754 and an estimated $75,908 four-year net cost, the typical graduate reaches earnings breakeven in roughly 4.0 years.
Based on outcomes from 16 schools. Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Of the 150 students who complete Natural Resources and Conservation programs each year, the majority (48%) earn a bachelor's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
This degree does not lock you into one job. Natural Resources and Conservation graduates show up in 8 different occupations, and Economist pays the most at $124,720/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
The best-paid of these is what an Economist earns and how fast the role is growing, though entry requirements vary across the list.
Only 8 colleges had enough verified data to appear here for Natural Resources and Conservation. They are sorted by graduate volume, not selectivity, so use them as a starting point rather than a ranking.
Ranked by score, that list starts with the cost and outcomes at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus, and the rest follow the same measures.
| # | College | Graduates | Acceptance | Net Price/yr | Earnings 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA · Public | 47 | 60.6% | $32,875 | $63,435 |
| 2 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA · Public | 35 | 59.7% | $22,383 | $71,631 |
| 3 | Oregon State University Corvallis, OR · Public | 21 | 77.3% | $19,604 | $64,010 |
| 4 | Kansas State University Manhattan, KS · Public | 13 | 81.7% | $19,406 | $57,262 |
| 5 | The University of Montana Missoula, MT · Public | 11 | 95.9% | $16,784 | $44,511 |
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville Platteville, WI · Public | 4 | 89.4% | $16,032 | $61,760 |
| 7 | Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute Albuquerque, NM · Public | 4 | Open | $5,181 | $27,660 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania State University-World Campus University Park, PA · Public | 3 | 91.2% | $19,550 | $63,435 |
Ranked by Natural Resources and Conservation graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats. Read our methodology →
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Natural Resources and Conservation program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find schools that match your profile.
See if a Natural Resources and Conservation degree pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings its graduates actually see.
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Natural Resources and Conservation carries financial trade-offs prospective students should weigh carefully. The 3 strengths and 4 concerns below are drawn from College Scorecard earnings, BLS job growth data, and IPEDS completion counts.
The highest-earning college major out-pays the lowest by a factor of two and a half. The full ranking of all 38 fields by median graduate earnings, with job growth alongside.
A popular claim holds that the applied engineering-tech degree pays more than the theoretical one. Across every program, engineering wins by about $10,000.
Across 88 STEM programs the top one out-earns the bottom by $65,000 a year. Operations research pays $122,531; environmental design pays $57,461.
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
Scout uses AI and can make mistakes. Verify important numbers on the page.
