Best Natural Resources & Conservation Research Schools by Graduate Salary & ROI (2026)
256 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score · Updated 2026
These are the top schools offering Natural Resources & Conservation Research, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Natural Resources & Conservation Research graduate earns $34,546/yr across 256 schools.
What do Natural Resources & Conservation Research graduates do? See career paths and salaries →
Programs Ranked
256
Avg Earnings
$34,546/yr
Avg DW Score
34/100
AI Risk
High
49% task exposure
All Natural Resources & Conservation Research Programs Ranked
Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Columbia Southern University
Orange Beach, AL · Private for-profit |
67
63–68 |
$74,546/yr | 31.1x |
| 2 |
University of Maryland Global Campus
Adelphi, MD · Public |
65
59–66 |
$55,545/yr | 25.9x |
| 3 |
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Buzzards Bay, MA · Public |
59
54–60 |
$50,931/yr | 16.1x |
| 4 |
American Public University System
Charles Town, WV · Private for-profit |
59
53–59 |
$50,260/yr | 19.0x |
| 5 |
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Public |
58
53–59 |
$47,338/yr | 14.1x |
| 6 |
University of Houston-Clear Lake
Houston, TX · Public |
55
50–55 |
$41,368/yr | 20.8x |
| 7 |
University of North Georgia
Dahlonega, GA · Public |
54
50–55 |
$44,124/yr | 26.9x |
| 8 |
California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, CA · Public |
53
49–53 |
$37,308/yr | 22.5x |
| 9 |
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA · Public |
52
48–53 |
$40,759/yr | 18.2x |
| 10 |
University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD · Public |
50
46–51 |
$41,152/yr | 13.2x |
| 11 |
California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA · Public |
49
46–49 |
$33,870/yr | 23.3x |
| 12 |
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA · Public |
48
44–49 |
$38,954/yr | 11.3x |
| 13 |
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, CO · Public |
48
43–49 |
$44,236/yr | 11.9x |
| 14 |
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT · Public |
48
45–49 |
$36,745/yr | 17.8x |
| 15 |
University of Nevada-Reno
Reno, NV · Public |
48
44–48 |
$36,481/yr | 16.3x |
| 16 |
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · Public |
48
43–49 |
$43,223/yr | 9.0x |
| 17 |
Rutgers University-Newark
Newark, NJ · Public |
48
44–49 |
$43,223/yr | 9.4x |
| 18 |
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Tempe, AZ · Public |
47
42–47 |
$40,476/yr | 11.6x |
| 19 |
University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA · Public |
47
43–47 |
$37,524/yr | 11.1x |
| 20 |
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN · Public |
47
42–48 |
$43,555/yr | 12.2x |
| 21 |
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Norman, OK · Public |
47
43–48 |
$42,057/yr | 13.3x |
| 22 |
University of Phoenix-Arizona
Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit |
47
42–48 |
$44,590/yr | 12.6x |
| 23 |
University of West Florida
Pensacola, FL · Public |
46
42–46 |
$37,214/yr | 19.0x |
| 24 |
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Pembroke, NC · Public |
46
42–46 |
$38,400/yr | 25.9x |
| 25 |
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public |
45
43–45 |
$31,944/yr | 13.6x |
| 26 |
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL · Public |
45
42–45 |
$34,454/yr | 20.1x |
| 27 |
Iowa State University
Ames, IA · Public |
45
42–46 |
$37,890/yr | 13.0x |
| 28 |
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Shippensburg, PA · Public |
45
41–46 |
$39,068/yr | 10.6x |
| 29 |
Texas A & M University-College Station
College Station, TX · Public |
45
42–46 |
$36,266/yr | 12.0x |
| 30 |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA · Public |
45
41–46 |
$39,361/yr | 9.5x |
| 31 |
California State University-Chico
Chico, CA · Public |
44
42–45 |
$33,758/yr | 17.1x |
| 32 |
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA · Public |
44
42–45 |
$34,090/yr | 16.6x |
| 33 |
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL · Public |
44
41–44 |
$36,048/yr | 18.4x |
| 34 |
University of Maine
Orono, ME · Public |
44
40–44 |
$39,297/yr | 10.4x |
| 35 |
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH · Public |
44
40–44 |
$39,545/yr | 10.3x |
| 36 |
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Kutztown, PA · Public |
44
40–45 |
$40,477/yr | 11.1x |
| 37 |
University of Delaware
Newark, DE · Public |
43
39–43 |
$38,908/yr | 8.7x |
| 38 |
CUNY Queens College
Queens, NY · Public |
43
41–43 |
$27,677/yr | 21.3x |
| 39 |
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Public |
43
40–43 |
$35,081/yr | 11.5x |
| 40 |
Stephen F Austin State University
Nacogdoches, TX · Public |
43
39–44 |
$37,637/yr | 12.0x |
| 41 |
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA · Public |
43
38–44 |
$43,038/yr | 8.8x |
| 42 |
Purdue University Global
West Lafayette, IN · Public |
43
38–44 |
$48,361/yr | 10.0x |
| 43 |
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA · Public |
42
40–42 |
$28,749/yr | 19.7x |
| 44 |
American University
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit |
42
37–43 |
$46,780/yr | 2.5x |
| 45 |
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS · Public |
42
37–43 |
$44,486/yr | 9.2x |
| 46 |
Towson University
Towson, MD · Public |
42
39–43 |
$34,345/yr | 12.4x |
| 47 |
Bentley University
Waltham, MA · Private nonprofit |
42
37–43 |
$68,600/yr | 1.9x |
| 48 |
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI · Public |
42
39–43 |
$37,170/yr | 9.1x |
| 49 |
University at Albany
Albany, NY · Public |
42
39–42 |
$31,835/yr | 13.9x |
| 50 |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC · Public |
42
39–42 |
$33,976/yr | 14.5x |
Scores calculated using College Scorecard, BLS, and AI task-exposure data. See full methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best school for Natural Resources & Conservation Research?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score, Columbia Southern University ranks #1 for Natural Resources & Conservation Research with a score of 67/100 and graduate earnings of $74,546/yr.
How much do Natural Resources & Conservation Research graduates earn?
Across 256 schools, Natural Resources & Conservation Research graduates earn an average of $34,546/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $74,546/yr.
Is Natural Resources & Conservation Research a good major for AI resistance?
Natural Resources & Conservation Research has an average AI task exposure of 49%, rated "High". This field has moderate AI exposure — some career paths are more resilient than others.