Natural Resources Management and Policy Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Natural Resources Management and Policy maps to BLS occupations averaging about $154,579, with roughly 177,890 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $8,895; common paths include Database Administrators and Sales Managers.
Key Statistics
Natural Resources Management and Policy: what the data shows
Common questions about natural resources management and policy degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a natural resources management and policy degree?
A Natural Resources Management and Policy program is classified under NCES CIP 00.0302 in the Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General field family (00.03).
Types of natural resources management and policy degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 00.03 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management (CIP 00.0303)
- Forestry (CIP 00.0305)
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research (CIP 00.0301)
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management (CIP 00.0306)
What do you learn in natural resources management and policy?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Active Learning, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Database Administrators (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%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a natural resources management and policy degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Natural Resources Management and Policy 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Database Administrators | 73,180 | $104,620 |
| Sales Managers | 603,710 | $138,060 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 319,630 | $104,070 |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | 176,420 | $103,960 |
| Public Relations Managers | 76,060 | $138,520 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | 20,070 | $140,360 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a natural resources management and policy degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $8,895 and median net price is $15,822.
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 Management and Policy and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$8,895 Median In-State Public
$44,360 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Natural Resources Management and Policy majors are, on average, $8,895 for in-state public colleges, and $44,360 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Natural Resources Management and Policy programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
N/A Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Natural Resources Management and Policy from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Natural Resources Management and Policy.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 3 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion | AZ | 49,000 |
| 4 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 44,617 |
| 5 | University of Arizona | AZ | 40,769 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Natural Resources Management and Policy programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Folsom Lake College | CA | $1,288 |
| 2 | Phoenix College | AZ | $2,358 |
| 3 | Southeastern Community College | NC | $2,600 |
| 4 | St Petersburg College | FL | $2,682 |
| 5 | Colorado Mountain College | CO | $2,700 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Natural Resources Management and Policy programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Regional Technical College | GA | $1,085 |
| 2 | Northern Marianas College | MP | $2,795 |
| 3 | Florida Gateway College | FL | $2,915 |
| 4 | Folsom Lake College | CA | $3,661 |
| 5 | Southeastern Community College | NC | $4,474 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Natural Resources Management and Policy programs.
Graduation Rates
53.65% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
55.42% Average Graduation Rate
90 Institutions Reporting
43.10% - 68.26% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Natural Resources Management and Policy programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 00.03 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management CIP 00.0303
- Forestry CIP 00.0305
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research CIP 00.0301
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management CIP 00.0306
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 $154,579. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Database Administrators | $122,296 | 73,180 |
| Sales Managers | $160,084 | 603,710 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $150,347 | 319,630 |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $141,801 | 176,420 |
| Public Relations Managers | $182,777 | 76,060 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | $179,559 | 20,070 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
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
$156,309 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Natural Resources Management and Policy majors is $156,309.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Natural Resources Management and Policy majors.
Occupations by Share
177,890 2023 Workforce
The number of Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Natural Resources Management and Policy by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Natural Resources Management and Policy 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 Management and Policy.
Age distribution for Natural Resources Management and Policy degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Natural Resources Management and Policy degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Natural Resources Management and Policy degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Natural Resources Management and Policy are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Natural Resources Management and Policy.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Natural Resources Management and Policy field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Natural Resources Management and Policy majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Natural Resources Management and Policy 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 Management and Policy majors.
About
Natural Resources Management and Policy
In 2023, N/A degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Natural Resources Management and Policy.
CIP Code
00.0302 - Natural Resources Management and Policy
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $154,579. The largest mapped role by headcount is Database Administrators (73,180 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $8,895 in-state at public colleges and $44,360 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.