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.

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