Natural Resources Conservation and Research: 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 270 college programs, at a typical net price.
The payoff is roughly break-even — the degree recovers its cost, but slowly.
What Natural Resources Conservation and Research pays
Career outlook for Natural Resources Conservation and Research graduates
The job market for the occupations Natural Resources Conservation and Research 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance officers | 418,000 | +3.0% | $78,420 | Bachelor's degree |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health | 90,300 | +4.4% | $80,060 | Bachelor's degree |
| Environmental science and protection technicians, including health | 40,400 | +4.0% | $49,490 | Associate's degree |
| Forest and conservation technicians | 33,800 | -3.2% | $54,310 | Associate's degree |
| Conservation scientists | 28,500 | +3.4% | $67,950 | Bachelor's degree |
| Foresters | 13,800 | +1.2% | $70,660 | Bachelor's degree |
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.
Natural Resources Conservation and Research vs similar majors
How Natural Resources Conservation and Research 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.
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research Natural Resources & Conservation · this major | Forestry | Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 41 D | 50 C | 44 D | 24 F |
| ROI verdict | Break-even | Strong return | Strong return | Poor return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $58,196 | $60,834 | $60,061 | $47,738 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $37,220 | $44,838 | $42,493 | $33,112 |
| ROI vs cost | +64% | +100% | +85% | -66% |
| Typical debt | $22,962 | $19,678 | $26,146 | $23,149 |
| Colleges offering it | 270 | 36 | 44 | 9 |
Natural Resources Conservation and Research 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 Natural Resources Conservation and Research
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 | CUNY Queens College Queens, NY | Associate's | $67,283 | — | +2,556% | Strong return |
| 2 | California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA | Associate's | $67,086 | — | +2,320% | Strong return |
| 3 | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA | Certificate | $98,811 | — | +1,952% | Strong return |
| 4 | Colorado Northwestern Community College Rangely, CO | Certificate | $67,802 | — | +1,780% | Strong return |
| 5 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Master's | $89,838 | — | +1,563% | Strong return |
| 6 | Columbia Southern University Orange Beach, AL | Certificate | $80,703 | $25,856 | +1,388% | Strong return |
| 7 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Associate's | $89,932 | $12,817 | +1,320% | Strong return |
| 8 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA | Associate's | $83,305 | — | +1,292% | Strong return |
| 9 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA | Associate's | $88,015 | — | +1,191% | Strong return |
| 10 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Certificate | $107,038 | — | +1,051% | Strong return |
| 11 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Associate's | $80,496 | $17,806 | +1,024% | Strong return |
| 12 | California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA | Associate's | $71,352 | $20,000 | +915% | Strong return |
| 13 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | Associate's | $74,028 | $18,000 | +822% | Strong return |
| 14 | California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA | Associate's | $68,028 | $14,000 | +786% | Strong return |
| 15 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA | Associate's | $74,836 | $15,000 | +754% | Strong return |
| 16 | Vincennes University Vincennes, IN | Certificate | $57,911 | $11,572 | +736% | Strong return |
| 17 | University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD | Associate's | $85,980 | $20,327 | +695% | Strong return |
| 18 | Columbia Southern University Orange Beach, AL | Associate's | $74,518 | $22,078 | +693% | Strong return |
| 19 | American Public University System Charles Town, WV | Associate's | $67,242 | $24,306 | +693% | Strong return |
| 20 | University of Houston-Clear Lake Houston, TX | Associate's | $67,590 | — | +626% | Strong return |
| 21 | American Public University System Charles Town, WV | Certificate | $80,040 | $31,665 | +602% | Strong return |
| 22 | Washington State University Pullman, WA | Associate's | $65,084 | — | +571% | Strong return |
| 23 | Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME | Associate's | $64,067 | — | +562% | Strong return |
| 24 | University of Wyoming Laramie, WY | Certificate | $79,628 | — | +537% | Strong return |
| 25 | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | Certificate | $90,082 | $32,485 | +491% | 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.