Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research Degrees in the US by ROI

Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs Analyzed

33

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

+$234,740

Across all programs

Average Annual Cost

$39,580

Cost of attendance

# College State 20-Yr Net ROI Median Salary Annual Cost Avg Debt
1 California State University-Fullerton

Grad rate: 69.3%

 CA +$648,446 $76,099 $16,767 N/A Full ROI →
2 University of California-Berkeley

Grad rate: 93.5%

 CA +$628,564 $77,699 $42,708 N/A Full ROI →
3 Webster University

Grad rate: 60.0%

 MO +$567,084 $75,276 $49,218 N/A Full ROI →
4 University of California-Santa Barbara

Grad rate: 85.5%

 CA +$500,328 $70,694 $36,776 N/A Full ROI →
5 University of San Francisco

Grad rate: 72.8%

 CA +$472,798 $73,282 $76,421 N/A Full ROI →
6 Yale University

Grad rate: 97.0%

 CT +$430,440 $72,034 $85,120 N/A Full ROI →
7 Duke University

Grad rate: 96.2%

 NC +$405,982 $70,574 $82,749 N/A Full ROI →
8 University of Wyoming

Grad rate: 60.3%

 WY +$386,098 $63,542 $22,371 N/A Full ROI →
9 Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey CA +$374,640 $60,732 N/A N/A Full ROI →
10 University of Houston-Clear Lake

Grad rate: 52.3%

 TX +$337,664 $61,262 $23,788 N/A Full ROI →
11 The University of Texas at Arlington

Grad rate: 55.1%

 TX +$337,070 $61,380 $25,265 N/A Full ROI →
12 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Grad rate: 93.2%

 MI +$300,090 $60,339 $33,345 N/A Full ROI →
13 University of Missouri-Columbia

Grad rate: 75.7%

 MO +$299,684 $59,879 $28,948 N/A Full ROI →
14 Indiana University-Bloomington

Grad rate: 81.2%

 IN +$298,338 $59,653 $27,361 N/A Full ROI →
15 American University

Grad rate: 79.0%

 DC +$282,442 $63,277 $71,549 N/A Full ROI →
16 George Mason University

Grad rate: 69.9%

 VA +$250,556 $57,225 $26,972 N/A Full ROI →
17 Columbia University in the City of New York

Grad rate: 95.1%

 NY +$237,256 $62,467 $86,042 N/A Full ROI →
18 American Public University System

Grad rate: 54.3%

 WV +$223,924 $54,832 $16,358 N/A Full ROI →
19 Purdue University Global

Grad rate: 30.4%

 IN +$222,452 $54,922 $17,994 N/A Full ROI →
20 Middlebury College

Grad rate: 93.0%

 VT +$210,120 $60,732 $82,260 N/A Full ROI →
21 University of Idaho

Grad rate: 61.0%

 ID +$182,902 $53,412 $22,669 N/A Full ROI →
22 Arizona State University Digital Immersion

Grad rate: 27.4%

 AZ +$181,700 $51,085 N/A N/A Full ROI →
23 Virginia Commonwealth University

Grad rate: 64.9%

 VA +$128,328 $51,851 $34,346 N/A Full ROI →
24 Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Grad rate: 67.4%

 AZ +$125,606 $51,085 $28,047 N/A Full ROI →
25 University of Hawaii at Hilo

Grad rate: 42.0%

 HI +$53,072 $46,745 $20,914 N/A Full ROI →
26 Clark University

Grad rate: 76.7%

 MA +$35,348 $50,210 $64,426 N/A Full ROI →
27 The Evergreen State College

Grad rate: 42.3%

 WA +$34,552 $46,321 $25,934 N/A Full ROI →
28 California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Grad rate: 46.1%

 CA +$25,516 $45,717 $24,412 N/A Full ROI →
29 Western Colorado University

Grad rate: 48.8%

 CO +$19,008 $45,493 $25,426 N/A Full ROI →
30 The University of Montana

Grad rate: 45.9%

 MT -$67,468 $41,001 $23,744 N/A Full ROI →
31 University of North Carolina Wilmington

Grad rate: 72.5%

 NC -$95,586 $39,812 $25,913 N/A Full ROI →
32 Antioch University OH -$145,260 $34,737 N/A N/A Full ROI →
33 Antioch University-New England NH -$145,260 $34,737 N/A N/A Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.

Find Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research Degrees by State

Browse Natural Resources Conservation and Research programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.

Arizona Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → California Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → Colorado Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → Connecticut Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → Hawaii Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → Idaho Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → Indiana Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → Massachusetts Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → Michigan Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → Missouri Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → Montana Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → New Hampshire Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → New York Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → North Carolina Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → Ohio Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → Texas Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → Vermont Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → Virginia Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → Washington Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → West Virginia Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research → Wyoming Best Natural Resources Conservation and Research →