{
  "major": "Natural Resources & Conservation",
  "slug": "natural-resources-conservation",
  "field": "Physical & Earth Sciences",
  "as_of": "2026",
  "url": "https://collegeranked.com/best-natural-resources-conservation-schools/",
  "source": "U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2026 release); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics",
  "metric_definitions": {
    "median_earnings": "Median earnings one year after graduation (Scorecard)",
    "net_price": "Average annual cost of attendance after grant aid. For PUBLIC schools this reflects IN-STATE cost; out-of-state students pay more.",
    "roi_10yr_usd": "Ten years of earnings minus four years of net price",
    "public": "true = public university (net_price is in-state basis); false = private (residency-neutral)"
  },
  "total_colleges_with_reported_data": 254,
  "shown": 25,
  "ranking": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "school": "University of California-Berkeley",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 47338,
      "net_price": 13481,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 419456,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "school": "University of Maryland Global Campus",
      "state": "MD",
      "median_earnings": 55545,
      "net_price": 22063,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 467198,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "school": "Massachusetts Maritime Academy",
      "state": "MA",
      "median_earnings": 50931,
      "net_price": 21582,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 422982,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 4,
      "school": "University of North Georgia",
      "state": "GA",
      "median_earnings": 44124,
      "net_price": 9823,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 401948,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 5,
      "school": "University of California-Davis",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 38954,
      "net_price": 14741,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 330576,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 6,
      "school": "University of California-San Diego",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 37524,
      "net_price": 12470,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 325360,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 7,
      "school": "California State University-Sacramento",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 37308,
      "net_price": 9338,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 335728,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 8,
      "school": "University of Houston-Clear Lake",
      "state": "TX",
      "median_earnings": 41368,
      "net_price": 15563,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 351428,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 9,
      "school": "Sonoma State University",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 40759,
      "net_price": 12885,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 356050,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 10,
      "school": "Purdue University Global",
      "state": "IN",
      "median_earnings": 48361,
      "net_price": 7770,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 452530,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 11,
      "school": "Rutgers University-Newark",
      "state": "NJ",
      "median_earnings": 43223,
      "net_price": 19703,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 353418,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 12,
      "school": "University of Maryland-College Park",
      "state": "MD",
      "median_earnings": 41152,
      "net_price": 15678,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 348808,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 13,
      "school": "California State University-Long Beach",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 33870,
      "net_price": 10440,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 296940,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 14,
      "school": "University of California-Los Angeles",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 31944,
      "net_price": 12548,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 269248,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 15,
      "school": "Arizona State University Campus Immersion",
      "state": "AZ",
      "median_earnings": 40476,
      "net_price": 14967,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 344892,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 16,
      "school": "Metropolitan State University of Denver",
      "state": "CO",
      "median_earnings": 44236,
      "net_price": 15327,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 381052,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 17,
      "school": "Saint Cloud State University",
      "state": "MN",
      "median_earnings": 43555,
      "net_price": 13529,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 381434,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 18,
      "school": "Colgate University",
      "state": "NY",
      "median_earnings": 41870,
      "net_price": 28786,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 303556,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 19,
      "school": "University of Washington-Tacoma Campus",
      "state": "WA",
      "median_earnings": 35867,
      "net_price": 10163,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 318018,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 20,
      "school": "University of Redlands",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 46164,
      "net_price": 30031,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 341516,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 21,
      "school": "Rutgers University-New Brunswick",
      "state": "NJ",
      "median_earnings": 43223,
      "net_price": 24406,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 334606,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 22,
      "school": "University of Florida",
      "state": "FL",
      "median_earnings": 34454,
      "net_price": 6541,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 318376,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 23,
      "school": "Northeastern University",
      "state": "MA",
      "median_earnings": 51137,
      "net_price": 30915,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 387710,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 24,
      "school": "American University",
      "state": "DC",
      "median_earnings": 46780,
      "net_price": 41943,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 300028,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 25,
      "school": "University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus",
      "state": "OK",
      "median_earnings": 42057,
      "net_price": 15300,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 359370,
      "public": true
    }
  ]
}