Natural Resources/Conservation, General Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Natural Resources/Conservation, General maps to BLS occupations averaging about $122,476, with roughly 6,517,870 workers nationwide in those roles. About 1,318 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median in-state published tuition is about $8,965.
Key Statistics
Natural Resources/Conservation, General: what the data shows
Common questions about natural resources/conservation, general degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a natural resources/conservation, general degree?
A Natural Resources/Conservation, General program is classified under NCES CIP 03.0101 in the Natural Resources Conservation and Research field family (03.01).
A general program that focuses on the studies and activities relating to the natural environment and its conservation, use, and improvement. Includes instruction in subjects such as climate, air, soil, water, land, fish and wildlife, and plant resources; in the basic principles of environmental science and natural resources management; and the recreational and economic uses of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources
IPEDS counted 1,318 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
How long does it take to get a natural resources/conservation, general degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 03.0101 in our file:
- 264 Associate (11.2% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 1,318 Bachelor's (56.2% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 765 Master's (32.6% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 03.0101, but occupation data show multiple pathways.
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a natural resources/conservation, general degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Natural Resources/Conservation, General to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping | 92,580 | $49,440 |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,510,550 | $43,630 |
| Dentists, General | 113,490 | $172,790 |
| Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,310 | $100,830 |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,584,420 | $102,950 |
| Human Resources Managers | 215,520 | $140,030 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a natural resources/conservation, general degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Natural Resources Conservation and Research bachelor's program family: median debt $28,647, median earnings $55,012 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.84.
About 3.4% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $8,965 and median net price is $16,927.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Natural Resources/Conservation, General and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$8,965 Median In-State Public
$44,638 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Natural Resources/Conservation, General majors are, on average, $8,965 for in-state public colleges, and $44,638 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Natural Resources/Conservation, General programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Natural Resources/Conservation, General from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Natural Resources/Conservation, General.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 2 | University of Phoenix-Arizona | AZ | 85,991 |
| 3 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 |
| 4 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 5 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Natural Resources/Conservation, General programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haskell Indian Nations University | KS | $600 |
| 2 | Barstow Community College | CA | $1,104 |
| 3 | Lake Tahoe Community College | CA | $1,131 |
| 4 | Lake Tahoe Community College | CA | $1,131 |
| 5 | San Diego City College | CA | $1,146 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Natural Resources/Conservation, General programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 2 | Fort Peck Community College | MT | $400 |
| 3 | Henry Ford College | MI | $660 |
| 4 | Pamlico Community College | NC | $1,321 |
| 5 | Pamlico Community College | NC | $1,321 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Natural Resources/Conservation, General programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Natural Resources/Conservation, General programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Natural Resources/Conservation, General is in CA (158 completions). That state represents about 12.0% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is AK (0.32% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 158 | 12.0% | 0.04% |
| TX | 154 | 11.7% | 0.05% |
| MD | 140 | 10.6% | 0.19% |
| MA | 79 | 6.0% | 0.06% |
| MN | 76 | 5.8% | 0.09% |
| NC | 73 | 5.5% | 0.06% |
| AZ | 62 | 4.7% | 0.04% |
| NE | 62 | 4.7% | 0.20% |
| MO | 57 | 4.3% | 0.08% |
| OH | 54 | 4.1% | 0.04% |
| IN | 41 | 3.1% | 0.04% |
| NH | 39 | 3.0% | 0.06% |
| MI | 37 | 2.8% | 0.03% |
| FL | 35 | 2.7% | 0.01% |
| WA | 33 | 2.5% | 0.05% |
| KY | 32 | 2.4% | 0.06% |
| SC | 31 | 2.4% | 0.06% |
| PA | 28 | 2.1% | 0.02% |
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 03.0101 in the survey year used in our extract (2,347 total across levels below).
- 264 Associate (11.2% of IPEDS total)
- 1,318 Bachelor's (56.2% of IPEDS total)
- 765 Master's (32.6% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $122,476. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Natural Resources/Conservation, General graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping | $59,617 | 92,580 |
| Office Clerks, General | $52,262 | 2,510,550 |
| Dentists, General | $189,360 | 113,490 |
| Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $89,673 | 1,310 |
| General and Operations Managers | $166,358 | 3,584,420 |
| Human Resources Managers | $202,537 | 215,520 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Natural Resources Conservation and Research CIP family (61 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Natural Resources/Conservation, General graduate.
- $28,647 median federal loan debt among completers
- $55,012 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.84 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 3.4% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$122,476 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Natural Resources/Conservation, General majors is $122,476.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Natural Resources/Conservation, General majors.
Occupations by Share
6,517,870 2023 Workforce
The number of Natural Resources/Conservation, General graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Natural Resources/Conservation, General by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Natural Resources/Conservation, General in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Natural Resources/Conservation, General.
Age distribution for Natural Resources/Conservation, General degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
1,318 Total Degrees Awarded
549 Male (41.65%)
769 Female (58.35%)
Gender distribution of Natural Resources/Conservation, General degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
963 White (73.07%)
155 Hispanic or Latino (11.76%)
69 Two or More Races (5.24%)
49 Asian (3.72%)
31 Black or African American (2.35%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Natural Resources/Conservation, General degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Natural Resources/Conservation, General are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Natural Resources/Conservation, General.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Natural Resources/Conservation, General field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Natural Resources/Conservation, General majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Natural Resources/Conservation, General majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Natural Resources/Conservation, General majors.
About
A general program that focuses on the studies and activities relating to the natural environment and its conservation, use, and improvement. Includes instruction in subjects such as climate, air, soil, water, land, fish and wildlife, and plant resources; in the basic principles of environmental science and natural resources management; and the recreational and economic uses of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Natural Resources/Conservation, General.
CIP Code
03.0101 - Natural Resources/Conservation, General
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $28,647 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $55,012, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.84. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Natural Resources/Conservation, General graduate.
Women earned 58.1% of 2,739 Natural Resources/Conservation, General completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $122,476. The largest mapped role by headcount is Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping (92,580 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $8,965 in-state at public colleges and $44,638 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.