Highest-Paying Environmental Science and Conservation (Bachelor's) Programs in the US

Q: Which state pays environmental science and conservation bachelor's graduates the most?

Arizona, where the median program pays its graduates $40,476 in their first year, the highest of 21 state rankings. Virginia is next, at $39,391.

Q: Which environmental science and conservation bachelor's program pays the most?

Columbia Southern University in Alabama reports the highest first-year pay of the 246 programs ranked here, $74,546. Its median federal debt is $27,071.

247 programs report first-year pay
21 state rankings
Bachelor's in Natural Resources Conservation and Research

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

The median environmental science and conservation bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $33,976 in their first year and $54,967 five years after. Arizona has the highest state median ($40,476), and North Carolina the lowest ($28,528). The median program leaves its graduates with $23,078 in federal debt.

Median first-year pay$33,976Across 247 programs

Median pay after 5 years$54,967Across 210 programs

Median federal debt$23,078Across 228 programs

Debt-to-earnings67%Across 211 programs

All 246 programs, ranked by graduate pay

Each program is ranked by the median pay of its graduates one year after they finished, from College Scorecard. This measures what graduates earn, not how good the teaching is. Pay also depends on where graduates live and work. Programs that don't report a figure are listed last when you sort by it.

#	School	Year 1 pay	After cost of living	Year 5 pay	Debt	Debt to pay
1	Columbia Southern UniversityOrange Beach, AL · private for-profit	$74,546	Not adjusted	$74,518	$27,071	36%
2	Bentley UniversityWaltham, MA · private nonprofit	$68,600	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	39%
3	Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA · private nonprofit	$56,549	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
4	UMGCAdelphi, MD · public	$55,545	Not adjusted	$85,980	$10,308	19%
5	George Washington UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	$51,201	Not adjusted	$65,865	$19,500	38%
6	Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$51,137	$48,353	$65,367	$23,430	46%
7	Massachusetts Maritime AcademyBuzzards Bay, MA · public	$50,931	$48,159	$74,074	$26,000	51%
8	American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV · private for-profit	$50,260	Not adjusted	$67,242	$23,875	48%
9	Occidental CollegeLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	$49,529	Not adjusted	$68,098	Not reported	Not reported
10	Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA · private nonprofit	$49,111	Not adjusted	Not reported	$17,200	35%
11	Purdue GlobalWest Lafayette, IN · public	$48,361	Not adjusted	$44,408	$55,306	114%
12	Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH · private nonprofit	$47,671	Not adjusted	Not reported	$15,078	32%
13	UC BerkeleyBerkeley, CA · public	$47,338	$42,755	$89,932	$12,988	27%
14	American UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	$46,780	Not adjusted	$78,483	$26,905	58%
15	Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, VT · private nonprofit	$46,758	Not adjusted	Not reported	$13,000	28%
16	Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA · private nonprofit	$46,698	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,798	57%
17	University of RedlandsRedlands, CA · private nonprofit	$46,164	$41,694	$70,817	$26,000	56%
18	UMass LowellLowell, MA · public	$45,215	$42,754	Not reported	$27,000	60%
19	University of PhoenixPhoenix, AZ · private for-profit	$44,590	Not adjusted	$52,075	$44,087	99%
20	Kansas StateManhattan, KS · public	$44,486	$49,392	Not reported	$23,322	52%
21	Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO · public	$44,236	$42,926	$55,583	$25,370	57%
22	University of North GeorgiaDahlonega, GA · public	$44,124	$45,823	$55,885	Not reported	Not reported
23	Saint Johns UniversityCollegeville, MN · private nonprofit	$44,047	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
24	SNHUManchester, NH · private nonprofit	$43,868	Not adjusted	Not reported	$32,256	74%
25	Hobart William Smith CollegesGeneva, NY · private nonprofit	$43,671	Not adjusted	$70,359	$27,000	62%
26	Saint Cloud StateSaint Cloud, MN · public	$43,555	$44,164	$53,507	$26,000	60%
27	RutgersNew Brunswick, NJ · public	$43,223	$39,725	$68,982	$25,706	59%
28	George MasonFairfax, VA · public	$43,038	$42,568	$54,409	$23,021	53%
29	Barnard CollegeNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$42,622	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
30	Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA · private nonprofit	$42,576	Not adjusted	$74,814	$23,250	55%
31	University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, OK · public	$42,057	$47,877	$54,775	$24,125	57%
32	University of Arizona Global CampusChandler, AZ · public	$41,893	Not adjusted	$45,089	$45,254	108%
33	Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY · private nonprofit	$41,870	Not adjusted	$78,918	$17,000	41%
34	UVACharlottesville, VA · public	$41,790	$41,334	$58,888	$13,952	33%
35	Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY · private nonprofit	$41,621	Not adjusted	$61,505	$16,500	40%
36	UMass BostonBoston, MA · public	$41,547	$39,285	$51,477	$21,386	51%
37	UH-Clear LakeHouston, TX · public	$41,368	$42,622	$67,590	Not reported	Not reported
38	University of MarylandCollege Park, MD · public	$41,152	$39,208	$65,351	$19,699	48%
39	Sonoma StateRohnert Park, CA · public	$40,759	$36,813	$62,755	$15,856	39%
40	Rhode Island CollegeProvidence, RI · public	$40,752	$39,844	Not reported	$24,125	59%
41	William Paterson University of New JerseyWayne, NJ · public	$40,613	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
42	Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztown, PA · public	$40,477	$41,484	$54,166	$26,250	65%
43	ASUTempe, AZ · public	$40,476	$40,204	$60,661	$21,000	52%
44	University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI · public	$40,067	Not adjusted	$58,743	$19,500	49%
45	Tufts UniversityMedford, MA · private nonprofit	$40,044	$37,864	Not reported	$18,050	45%
46	Vermont StateRandolph, VT · public	$39,997	Not adjusted	$42,719	Not reported	Not reported
47	Delaware Valley UniversityDoylestown, PA · private nonprofit	$39,903	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	68%
48	Roger Williams UniversityBristol, RI · private nonprofit	$39,869	Not adjusted	$68,445	$26,000	65%
49	Eastern Washington UniversityCheney, WA · public	$39,671	$37,071	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
50	Roanoke CollegeSalem, VA · private nonprofit	$39,588	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	68%
51	Ohio StateColumbus, OH · public	$39,545	$42,625	$58,110	$21,438	54%
52	Oregon StateCorvallis, OR · public	$39,479	Not adjusted	$55,537	$23,267	59%
53	Longwood UniversityFarmville, VA · public	$39,391	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
54	Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA · public	$39,361	$38,931	$65,308	$26,408	67%
55	University of MaineOrono, ME · public	$39,297	$40,491	$57,652	$26,500	67%
56	Bemidji StateBemidji, MN · public	$39,195	$39,743	Not reported	$24,000	61%
57	Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburg, PA · public	$39,068	$40,040	$63,079	$24,125	62%
58	University of DenverDenver, CO · private nonprofit	$39,017	$37,861	Not reported	$25,899	66%
59	PurdueWest Lafayette, IN · public	$38,989	Not adjusted	Not reported	$19,500	50%
60	UC DavisDavis, CA · public	$38,954	$35,182	$74,836	$15,200	39%
61	University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA · private nonprofit	$38,949	$35,178	$67,402	$23,125	59%
62	University of DelawareNewark, DE · public	$38,908	Not adjusted	$62,519	$25,740	66%
63	Cal State East BayHayward, CA · public	$38,876	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
64	Bridgewater CollegeBridgewater, VA · private nonprofit	$38,838	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
65	University of RochesterRochester, NY · private nonprofit	$38,762	Not adjusted	Not reported	$19,625	51%
66	Bates CollegeLewiston, ME · private nonprofit	$38,437	Not adjusted	$56,602	$9,614	25%
67	UNC PembrokePembroke, NC · public	$38,400	$40,710	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
68	Commonwealth University of PennsylvaniaBloomsburg, PA · public	$38,183	$39,133	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
69	Gustavus Adolphus CollegeSaint Peter, MN · private nonprofit	$38,024	$38,556	$59,016	$23,250	61%
70	Iowa StateAmes, IA · public	$37,890	$43,174	$58,849	$22,227	59%
71	Wellesley CollegeWellesley, MA · private nonprofit	$37,724	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
72	Stephen F. AustinNacogdoches, TX · public	$37,637	$38,778	$55,132	$24,617	65%
73	UC San DiegoLa Jolla, CA · public	$37,524	$33,891	$74,028	$18,000	48%
74	Texas A&M-Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi, TX · public	$37,497	$38,634	$50,178	$27,523	73%
75	University of Minnesota-CrookstonCrookston, MN · public	$37,453	$37,977	$52,714	$21,380	57%
76	Cal State San MarcosSan Marcos, CA · public	$37,364	$33,746	Not reported	$12,424	33%
77	Penn StateUniversity Park, PA · public	$37,330	$38,259	$59,675	$26,000	70%
78	Sacramento StateSacramento, CA · public	$37,308	$33,696	$71,352	$22,100	59%
79	University of New HampshireDurham, NH · public	$37,286	Not adjusted	$55,743	$26,750	72%
80	University of West FloridaPensacola, FL · public	$37,214	$35,985	$50,951	Not reported	Not reported
81	Michigan StateEast Lansing, MI · public	$37,170	$38,631	$64,549	$23,750	64%
82	Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY · public	$36,894	$40,921	Not reported	$16,900	46%
83	UMBCBaltimore, MD · public	$36,804	$35,065	$53,247	$21,750	59%
84	Montana StateBozeman, MT · public	$36,745	Not adjusted	$60,659	$27,040	74%
85	Texas TechLubbock, TX · public	$36,601	$37,711	$46,915	$24,000	66%
86	Franklin and Marshall CollegeLancaster, PA · private nonprofit	$36,536	Not adjusted	Not reported	$22,888	63%
87	University of Nevada-RenoReno, NV · public	$36,481	$36,489	$62,323	$14,000	38%
88	Keene State CollegeKeene, NH · public	$36,423	Not adjusted	$49,533	$23,360	64%
89	Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL · public	$36,409	$36,424	$48,605	$26,625	73%
90	Pennsylvania Western UniversityCalifornia, PA · public	$36,345	$37,249	$46,478	Not reported	Not reported
91	UC IrvineIrvine, CA · public	$36,304	$32,789	$59,960	$12,477	34%
92	Texas A&MCollege Station, TX · public	$36,266	$37,366	$68,160	$21,125	58%
93	Denison UniversityGranville, OH · private nonprofit	$36,236	Not adjusted	$63,744	Not reported	Not reported
94	University of KentuckyLexington, KY · public	$36,117	$40,059	$54,801	$25,000	69%
95	USFTampa, FL · public	$36,048	$34,858	$49,650	$18,840	52%
96	FIUMiami, FL · public	$36,007	$34,818	$46,401	Not reported	Not reported
97	Georgia CollegeMilledgeville, GA · public	$35,952	$37,336	Not reported	$23,114	64%
98	University of WashingtonSeattle, WA · public	$35,867	$33,516	$57,124	$17,184	48%
99	Westfield StateWestfield, MA · public	$35,809	$33,860	$55,523	$23,913	67%
100	UW-WhitewaterWhitewater, WI · public	$35,693	$37,933	$51,657	$21,507	60%
101	Augustana CollegeRock Island, IL · private nonprofit	$35,669	$35,684	$47,186	$26,000	73%
102	Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI · public	$35,656	$37,058	Not reported	$27,500	77%
103	University of IowaIowa City, IA · public	$35,650	$40,621	$50,387	$24,000	67%
104	Oklahoma StateStillwater, OK · public	$35,385	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
105	University of PortlandPortland, OR · private nonprofit	$35,349	Not adjusted	Not reported	$22,875	65%
106	SewaneeSewanee, TN · private nonprofit	$35,204	Not adjusted	$65,685	Not reported	Not reported
107	University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC · public	$35,081	$37,420	$63,196	$25,500	73%
108	Framingham StateFramingham, MA · public	$35,032	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
109	Florida Gulf Coast UniversityFort Myers, FL · public	$34,875	$33,724	$42,044	$19,215	55%
110	Cleveland StateCleveland, OH · public	$34,835	$37,548	$49,911	$21,965	63%
111	Miami UniversityOxford, OH · public	$34,708	Not adjusted	$48,449	$25,500	73%
112	Clark UniversityWorcester, MA · private nonprofit	$34,500	Not adjusted	$55,687	$26,000	75%
113	University of Southern MainePortland, ME · public	$34,465	$35,513	Not reported	$26,513	77%
114	University of FloridaGainesville, FL · public	$34,454	$33,317	$53,912	$20,500	59%
115	University of New EnglandBiddeford, ME · private nonprofit	$34,434	Not adjusted	$58,972	$27,000	78%
116	University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH · public	$34,417	$37,098	$41,026	$22,125	64%
117	University of KansasLawrence, KS · public	$34,374	$38,164	Not reported	$19,282	56%
118	Upper Iowa UniversityFayette, IA · private nonprofit	$34,347	$39,137	$52,875	$22,251	65%
119	Colorado StateFort Collins, CO · public	$34,346	$33,329	$48,025	$15,140	44%
120	Towson UniversityTowson, MD · public	$34,345	$32,722	$60,755	$22,750	66%
121	San Diego StateSan Diego, CA · public	$34,090	$30,789	$58,289	$13,191	39%
122	Kent StateKent, OH · public	$34,020	$36,670	$39,120	$21,556	63%
123	Ball StateMuncie, IN · public	$34,000	$36,430	$57,266	$27,000	79%
124	UNC Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC · public	$33,976	$36,020	$55,613	$12,044	35%
125	Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	$33,870	$30,591	$68,028	$13,575	40%
126	UC Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA · public	$33,759	$30,490	$66,752	$16,533	49%
127	Chico StateChico, CA · public	$33,758	$30,490	$58,420	$22,294	66%
128	UCFOrlando, FL · public	$33,700	$32,587	Not reported	$19,709	58%
129	Stonehill CollegeEaston, MA · private nonprofit	$33,692	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,950	77%
130	Saint Michael's CollegeColchester, VT · private nonprofit	$33,658	Not adjusted	$44,265	$26,980	80%
131	University of Minnesota-DuluthDuluth, MN · public	$33,565	$34,034	$58,406	$26,894	80%
132	University of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, NE · public	$33,514	$37,195	$49,722	$24,250	72%
133	UW-River FallsRiver Falls, WI · public	$33,408	Not adjusted	$53,208	$22,163	66%
134	Paul Smiths College of Arts and SciencePaul Smiths, NY · private nonprofit	$33,398	$30,947	Not reported	$25,089	75%
135	St Lawrence UniversityCanton, NY · private nonprofit	$33,270	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
136	UW-MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI · public	$33,262	$35,349	$49,496	$28,000	84%
137	Stockton UniversityGalloway, NJ · public	$33,224	$30,535	$51,177	$23,281	70%
138	UM-FlintFlint, MI · public	$33,156	$34,460	$40,465	Not reported	Not reported
139	University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN · public	$33,132	$33,595	$53,460	$24,250	73%
140	University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR · public	$33,091	Not adjusted	$51,225	$23,042	70%
141	Juniata CollegeHuntingdon, PA · private nonprofit	$33,069	$33,892	$37,810	$27,000	82%
142	NC StateRaleigh, NC · public	$32,948	$34,930	$51,631	$21,500	65%
143	Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT · private nonprofit	$32,909	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
144	University of ToledoToledo, OH · public	$32,706	$35,253	$47,505	$21,100	65%
145	IU IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN · public	$32,469	$34,790	Not reported	$29,076	90%
146	University of WyomingLaramie, WY · public	$32,362	Not adjusted	$50,471	$18,250	56%
147	University of Nebraska at OmahaOmaha, NE · public	$32,284	$35,830	$54,330	$22,639	70%
148	UW-Green BayGreen Bay, WI · public	$32,205	$34,226	$50,598	$23,202	72%
149	Grand Valley StateAllendale, MI · public	$32,118	$33,381	$46,296	$24,158	75%
150	VCURichmond, VA · public	$32,038	$31,688	$53,220	$23,500	73%
151	UCLALos Angeles, CA · public	$31,944	$28,851	$80,496	$18,000	56%
152	Cal State Channel IslandsCamarillo, CA · public	$31,938	$28,846	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
153	Plymouth StatePlymouth, NH · public	$31,836	$30,563	$58,878	$27,000	85%
154	University at AlbanyAlbany, NY · public	$31,835	Not adjusted	$61,851	$22,801	72%
155	Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · public	$31,817	$32,609	$60,568	$25,000	79%
156	Baylor UniversityWaco, TX · private nonprofit	$31,707	$32,668	$52,346	$26,000	82%
157	IU BloomingtonBloomington, IN · public	$31,655	$33,918	Not reported	$19,500	62%
158	Portland StatePortland, OR · public	$31,512	$30,487	$47,669	$29,250	93%
159	UIUCChampaign, IL · public	$31,369	$31,382	$58,105	$21,000	67%
160	SUNY BrockportBrockport, NY · public	$31,223	$28,931	Not reported	$23,500	75%
161	UTEPEl Paso, TX · public	$31,207	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
162	Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI · public	$31,201	$32,428	$57,419	$25,171	81%
163	UW-StoutMenomonie, WI · public	$31,128	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	87%
164	Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ · public	$31,097	$30,888	$48,869	$21,333	69%
165	University of IdahoMoscow, ID · public	$31,028	$32,492	$40,356	$22,500	73%
166	Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA · public	$30,899	$28,874	$54,496	$20,854	67%
167	Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	$30,835	$31,602	$66,109	$28,956	94%
168	Wofford CollegeSpartanburg, SC · private nonprofit	$30,824	Not adjusted	Not reported	$16,691	54%
169	Loyola ChicagoChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$30,797	$30,810	$56,939	$24,042	78%
170	CU BoulderBoulder, CO · public	$30,747	$29,836	$63,863	$21,000	68%
171	Cal State Monterey BaySeaside, CA · public	$30,712	$27,738	$53,883	$16,806	55%
172	University of ArizonaTucson, AZ · public	$30,645	$30,439	$46,607	$22,483	73%
173	Southern Oregon UniversityAshland, OR · public	$30,632	$29,636	Not reported	$23,543	77%
174	Allegheny CollegeMeadville, PA · private nonprofit	$30,552	$31,312	$50,086	$27,000	88%
175	UC RiversideRiverside, CA · public	$30,521	$27,566	$61,938	$16,157	53%
176	University of St Thomas (Minnesota)Saint Paul, MN · private nonprofit	$30,520	$30,947	Not reported	$24,625	81%
177	Northeastern Illinois UniversityChicago, IL · public	$30,490	Not adjusted	$53,725	$20,927	69%
178	Utah StateLogan, UT · public	$30,249	Not adjusted	Not reported	$17,750	59%
179	University of OregonEugene, OR · public	$30,200	$29,218	$47,594	$20,500	68%
180	Florida StateTallahassee, FL · public	$30,146	$29,151	$48,084	$18,979	63%
181	Shepherd UniversityShepherdstown, WV · public	$29,921	Not adjusted	$51,173	$25,000	84%
181	St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN · private nonprofit	$29,921	Not adjusted	Not reported	$24,455	82%
183	Cal Poly HumboldtArcata, CA · public	$29,917	$27,020	$50,871	$15,500	52%
184	Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, WA · public	$29,725	$27,777	$44,975	$20,000	67%
185	UMass AmherstAmherst, MA · public	$29,690	$28,074	$57,260	$25,000	84%
186	Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, MN · private nonprofit	$29,559	Not adjusted	Not reported	$19,000	64%
187	St. John's UniversityQueens, NY · private nonprofit	$29,513	Not adjusted	$60,826	$26,000	88%
188	Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg, PA · private nonprofit	$29,428	Not adjusted	$52,647	$24,889	85%
189	Texas StateSan Marcos, TX · public	$29,414	$30,306	$50,255	$24,515	83%
190	Rowan UniversityGlassboro, NJ · public	$29,306	$26,934	$59,121	$23,875	81%
191	University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI · public	$29,264	$30,415	$59,553	$16,577	57%
192	UC Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA · public	$29,152	$26,329	$60,229	$18,500	63%
193	UNC WilmingtonWilmington, NC · public	$28,935	$30,676	$45,436	$22,309	77%
194	UW-MadisonMadison, WI · public	$28,824	$30,633	$53,967	$19,500	68%
195	Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, WA · private nonprofit	$28,763	$26,878	Not reported	$24,118	84%
196	Knox CollegeGalesburg, IL · private nonprofit	$28,757	Not adjusted	$48,613	$26,000	90%
197	San Francisco StateSan Francisco, CA · public	$28,749	$25,965	$61,590	$16,150	56%
198	Willamette UniversitySalem, OR · private nonprofit	$28,697	Not adjusted	$64,510	$22,511	78%
199	SUNY PlattsburghPlattsburgh, NY · public	$28,447	$26,359	$64,446	$19,500	69%
200	Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI · public	$28,430	$29,548	$46,528	$29,000	102%
201	Colby CollegeWaterville, ME · private nonprofit	$28,216	Not adjusted	$53,972	$19,313	68%
202	Boise StateBoise, ID · public	$28,211	$29,542	$48,167	$20,356	72%
203	UT ChattanoogaChattanooga, TN · public	$28,188	$30,682	$44,034	$20,500	73%
204	Flagler CollegeSaint Augustine, FL · private nonprofit	$28,175	$27,245	Not reported	$24,427	87%
205	Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY · public	$28,155	$26,089	$59,013	$18,269	65%
206	Duke UniversityDurham, NC · private nonprofit	$28,121	Not adjusted	$78,003	$11,875	42%
207	Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA · private nonprofit	$28,027	Not adjusted	$48,378	Not reported	Not reported
208	Salisbury UniversitySalisbury, MD · public	$28,026	$26,702	$51,618	$20,606	74%
209	Queens CollegeQueens, NY · public	$27,677	$25,646	$67,283	Not reported	Not reported
210	Dickinson CollegeCarlisle, PA · private nonprofit	$27,663	Not adjusted	$65,376	$18,402	67%
211	Appalachian StateBoone, NC · public	$27,631	$29,293	$41,388	$23,125	84%
212	SUNY College at PotsdamPotsdam, NY · public	$27,586	Not adjusted	$38,661	$26,000	94%
213	University of MontanaMissoula, MT · public	$27,552	$29,111	$41,182	$21,250	77%
214	University of MissouriColumbia, MO · public	$27,429	$30,202	$44,555	$20,210	74%
215	Catawba CollegeSalisbury, NC · private nonprofit	$27,389	$29,037	Not reported	$25,794	94%
216	Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA · private nonprofit	$27,339	Not adjusted	$75,038	$19,500	71%
217	University of Central ArkansasConway, AR · public	$27,118	$31,193	Not reported	$20,625	76%
218	Lake Forest CollegeLake Forest, IL · private nonprofit	$26,998	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
219	UTSASan Antonio, TX · public	$26,931	$27,748	$48,624	$24,250	90%
220	UConnStorrs, CT · public	$26,899	$25,962	$53,791	$22,692	84%
221	University of VermontBurlington, VT · public	$26,871	Not adjusted	$49,751	$21,632	81%
222	DePaul UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$26,381	$26,392	$53,761	$24,750	94%
223	Northern Michigan UniversityMarquette, MI · public	$26,266	$27,299	$41,641	$24,250	92%
224	Western Colorado UniversityGunnison, CO · public	$26,123	$25,349	$46,470	$21,612	83%
225	Ithaca CollegeIthaca, NY · private nonprofit	$26,032	Not adjusted	$46,567	$26,000	100%
226	UNC AshevilleAsheville, NC · public	$25,758	$27,307	$41,988	$22,880	89%
227	Eckerd CollegeSaint Petersburg, FL · private nonprofit	$25,709	Not adjusted	$42,741	$26,000	101%
228	Carthage CollegeKenosha, WI · private nonprofit	$25,553	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	106%
229	Clemson UniversityClemson, SC · public	$25,115	$26,790	$52,586	$21,200	84%
230	Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY · public	$24,336	$22,550	$59,487	$16,277	67%
231	Stetson UniversityDeLand, FL · private nonprofit	$23,790	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
232	University of Puget SoundTacoma, WA · private nonprofit	$23,437	Not adjusted	Not reported	$24,623	105%
233	Mount Holyoke CollegeSouth Hadley, MA · private nonprofit	$22,791	Not adjusted	$54,485	$21,500	94%
234	Ramapo College of New JerseyMahwah, NJ · public	$22,629	$20,798	$51,397	$18,274	81%
235	Fort Lewis CollegeDurango, CO · public	$22,541	$21,873	$45,158	$21,477	95%
236	Rollins CollegeWinter Park, FL · private nonprofit	$22,352	Not adjusted	$36,940	Not reported	Not reported
237	Washington CollegeChestertown, MD · private nonprofit	$22,324	$21,269	$52,253	$26,529	119%
238	Nova Southeastern UniversityFort Lauderdale, FL · private nonprofit	$22,098	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
239	King's CollegeWilkes-Barre, PA · private nonprofit	$22,080	Not adjusted	$50,859	Not reported	Not reported
240	Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI · public	$21,919	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
241	Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA · private nonprofit	$21,648	Not adjusted	$42,367	$18,820	87%
242	Pitzer CollegeClaremont, CA · private nonprofit	$21,570	Not adjusted	Not reported	$17,750	82%
243	Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA · private nonprofit	$21,227	Not adjusted	$73,608	$23,172	109%
244	Luther CollegeDecorah, IA · private nonprofit	$19,239	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
245	Colorado CollegeColorado Springs, CO · private nonprofit	$17,372	Not adjusted	Not reported	$15,000	86%
246	Canisius UniversityBuffalo, NY · private nonprofit	$15,681	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,000	166%

Pay after cost of living divides first-year pay by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price level of the school's state, where the US average is 100. It is shown for 153 programs where at least half of the graduates who work are working in the school's state. The other 93, whose graduates mostly work in other states or whose state has no price level, are listed last when you sort by it.

36 programs report pay but not debt, so they are ranked only by pay.

College Scorecard withholds pay for programs with too few graduates, to protect their privacy, so those programs can't be ranked. One more program reports pay but isn't listed, because College Scorecard's school file doesn't name its school. The national medians above still count them.

Environmental Science and Conservation (Bachelor's) programs by state

Each row is the median across the state's environmental science and conservation bachelor's programs. State names link to the full ranking of that state's programs.

#	State	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
1	Arizona	5	$40,476	$22,804
2	Virginia	7	$39,391	$23,500
3	New Hampshire	5	$37,286	$26,852
4	Massachusetts	16	$36,767	$24,457
5	Pennsylvania	16	$36,441	$26,125
6	Texas	9	$36,266	$24,566
7	Maryland	6	$35,575	$20,606
8	Minnesota	10	$35,509	$24,250
9	California	24	$35,197	$16,533
10	Ohio	7	$34,708	$21,965
11	Maine	5	$34,465	$26,500
12	Indiana	5	$34,000	$23,250
13	Wisconsin	7	$32,205	$23,202
14	Florida	12	$31,923	$19,709
15	New York	17	$31,223	$23,375
16	Michigan	9	$31,201	$24,711
17	Oregon	6	$31,072	$23,071
18	Colorado	7	$30,747	$21,477
19	Illinois	8	$30,644	$24,750
20	Washington	6	$30,312	$20,552
21	North Carolina	8	$28,528	$22,309

Programs in 24 more states and territories report pay, but too few to rank. A state ranking needs at least five programs that report both pay and debt.

Quick picks nationwide

Lowest median debt

Bates College, ME$9,614
UMGC, MD$10,308
Duke University, NC$11,875
UNC Chapel Hill, NC$12,044
Cal State San Marcos, CA$12,424
UC Irvine, CA$12,477
UC Berkeley, CA$12,988
San Diego State, CA$13,191
Cal State Long Beach, CA$13,575
UVA, VA$13,952

Lowest debt for the pay

Only the 166 programs with their own page here are included. "Debt for the pay" is median debt divided by first-year pay.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to environmental science and conservation, largest first. Pay is the median across the US and all experience levels.

Compliance Officers

$80,730

Median pay in the US. 417,070 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 32,700 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $48,220Top 10%: $133,720

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

$82,220

Median pay in the US. 89,250 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,300 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $52,520Top 10%: $140,010

Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health

$55,090

Median pay in the US. 34,670 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 5,300 openings a year. Typical education to start: associate's degree.

Bottom 10%: $38,170Top 10%: $94,160

Forest and Conservation Technicians

$54,560

Median pay in the US. 30,410 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,800 openings a year. Typical education to start: associate's degree.

Bottom 10%: $40,330Top 10%: $83,630

Common questions

The median environmental science and conservation bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $33,976 in their first year and $54,967 five years after.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid, and earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Medians are across programs, not students: each program counts once, however many graduates it has.
National medians include every program in the 50 states, DC, and US territories, including schools that have since closed. Schools with several campuses that report one combined figure are counted once.
Programs are ranked by College Scorecard median pay one year after graduation. Pay after cost of living uses the price level of the school's state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024