Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 44 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy pays
Career outlook for Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates
The job market for the occupations Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | 1,333,700 | +4.5% | $136,550 | Bachelor's degree |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers | 698,800 | +3.1% | $76,290 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Compliance officers | 418,000 | +3.0% | $78,420 | Bachelor's degree |
| Firefighters | 344,900 | +3.4% | $59,530 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| First-line supervisors of police and detectives | 160,800 | +2.9% | $105,980 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers | 149,700 | +5.8% | $33,720 | No formal educational credential |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy vs similar majors
How Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy stacks up against the closest fields in Natural Resources & Conservation on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Natural Resources & Conservation · this major | Forestry | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 44 D | 50 C | 41 D | 24 F |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Break-even | Poor return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $60,061 | $60,834 | $58,196 | $47,738 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $42,493 | $44,838 | $37,220 | $33,112 |
| ROI vs cost | +85% | +100% | +64% | -66% |
| Typical debt | $26,146 | $19,678 | $22,962 | $23,149 |
| Colleges offering it | 44 | 36 | 270 | 9 |
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University-Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA | Associate's | $76,104 | — | +2,652% | Strong return |
| 2 | Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon, WA | Certificate | $59,935 | — | +2,363% | Strong return |
| 3 | Minnesota North College Hibbing, MN | Certificate | $62,202 | — | +1,549% | Strong return |
| 4 | California State University-Channel Islands Camarillo, CA | Associate's | $69,924 | $19,209 | +834% | Strong return |
| 5 | Minnesota North College Hibbing, MN | Certificate | $52,766 | — | +644% | Strong return |
| 6 | Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI | Associate's | $70,146 | — | +615% | Strong return |
| 7 | University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD | Certificate | $88,244 | — | +590% | Strong return |
| 8 | Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO | Associate's | $64,712 | — | +543% | Strong return |
| 9 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA | Associate's | $69,368 | $19,500 | +503% | Strong return |
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | Certificate | $76,170 | — | +419% | Strong return |
| 11 | St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL | Associate's | $52,247 | $30,871 | +411% | Strong return |
| 12 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO | Associate's | $65,688 | — | +386% | Strong return |
| 13 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA | Certificate | $91,116 | $38,924 | +305% | Strong return |
| 14 | Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR | Certificate | $73,952 | — | +301% | Strong return |
| 15 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus Fargo, ND | Associate's | $60,668 | $25,125 | +289% | Strong return |
| 16 | University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI | Associate's | $64,504 | $21,750 | +284% | Strong return |
| 17 | Marist University Poughkeepsie, NY | Associate's | $75,821 | — | +271% | Strong return |
| 18 | Oregon State University Corvallis, OR | Certificate | $73,952 | — | +269% | Strong return |
| 19 | Glenville State University Glenville, WV | Associate's | $57,986 | $24,125 | +253% | Strong return |
| 20 | Duke University Durham, NC | Certificate | $84,677 | — | +235% | Strong return |
| 21 | Texas A&M University-College Station College Station, TX | Associate's | $60,521 | $21,657 | +207% | Strong return |
| 22 | Unity Environmental University New Gloucester, ME | Associate's | $59,268 | $26,944 | +197% | Strong return |
| 23 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA | Associate's | $57,520 | $23,253 | +168% | Strong return |
| 24 | University of Denver Denver, CO | Certificate | $85,706 | $41,000 | +155% | Strong return |
| 25 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, NY | Associate's | $54,010 | — | +138% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.