Natural Resources Conservation and Research: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 03.01. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,705 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 146 | 790 | $41,576 | $51,561 | $16,569 3 programs |
| Associate's degree | 244 | 894 | $36,701 | $45,634 | $11,936 6 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 852 | 17,854 | $40,925 | $55,012 | $20,500 253 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 10 | 0 | $58,872 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 268 | 3,627 | $60,711 | $74,607 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 103 | 471 | $68,930 | $87,076 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 2 | 0 | $70,570 | $80,429 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 80 | 217 | $62,048 | $77,654 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 52 graduates measured | $49,452 | $63,138 | $16,569 |
| Colorado Northwestern Community College CO · Public · 36 graduates measured | $42,269 | $48,394 | Data unavailable |
| Lackawanna College PA · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $39,850 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Florida Atlantic University FL · Public · 28 graduates measured | $28,612 | $49,254 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vincennes University IN · Public · 29 graduates measured | $40,823 | $51,555 | $12,000 |
| Fox Valley Technical College WI · Public · 17 graduates measured | $38,910 | $52,643 | $11,871 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Southern University AL · Private, for-profit · 58 graduates measured | $69,629 | $81,292 | $30,467 |
| Bentley University MA · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $69,036 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Brown University RI · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $63,016 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| SUNY Maritime College NY · Public · 16 graduates measured | $61,388 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $60,456 | Data unavailable | $21,499 |
| Massachusetts Maritime Academy MA · Public · 50 graduates measured | $59,807 | $74,393 | $25,839 |
| University of Maryland Global Campus MD · Public · 56 graduates measured | $57,207 | $77,259 | $15,500 |
| Washington State University WA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $56,113 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 303 graduates measured | $56,111 | $78,624 | $12,000 |
| Colgate University NY · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $55,034 | $70,760 | Data unavailable |
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 236 graduates measured | $54,940 | $57,618 | $17,200 |
| Purdue University Global IN · Public · 30 graduates measured | $53,250 | Data unavailable | $32,184 |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 25 graduates measured | $52,523 | $66,178 | $23,170 |
| University of Utah UT · Public · 20 graduates measured | $52,246 | Data unavailable | $20,500 |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell MA · Public · 32 graduates measured | $52,026 | $59,783 | $27,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webster University MO · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $91,133 | $89,701 | Data unavailable |
| University of San Francisco CA · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $79,325 | $102,274 | Data unavailable |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $78,598 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 74 graduates measured | $75,506 | $98,458 | Data unavailable |
| University of Idaho ID · Public · 35 graduates measured | $75,271 | $92,396 | Data unavailable |
| Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey CA · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $75,180 | $72,805 | Data unavailable |
| Middlebury College VT · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $75,180 | $72,805 | Data unavailable |
| Oregon State University OR · Public · 29 graduates measured | $75,080 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Oregon State University-Cascades Campus OR · Public · 29 graduates measured | $75,080 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Yale University CT · Private, nonprofit · 84 graduates measured | $74,462 | $100,347 | Data unavailable |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus OK · Public · 70 graduates measured | $74,461 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Duke University NC · Private, nonprofit · 96 graduates measured | $73,924 | $96,411 | Data unavailable |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $72,317 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| American University DC · Private, nonprofit · 35 graduates measured | $71,013 | $104,878 | Data unavailable |
| Western Washington University WA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $69,594 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arizona AZ · Public · 18 graduates measured | $82,798 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 30 graduates measured | $76,469 | $100,702 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 23 graduates measured | $71,140 | $86,011 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Natural Resources Conservation and Research
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance officers | $80,730 | +3.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Conservation scientists | $73,010 | +5.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Foresters | $76,400 | +2.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health | $82,220 | +6.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Environmental science and protection technicians, including health | $55,090 | +6.9% | Associate's degree |
| Forest and conservation technicians | $54,560 | -2.1% | Associate's degree |
| Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary | $101,420 | +2.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Environmental science teachers, postsecondary | $94,980 | +2.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (4)
- 03.0101 Natural Resources/Conservation, General
- 03.0103 Environmental Studies
- 03.0104 Environmental Science
- 03.0199 Natural Resources Conservation and Research, Other