California · Natural Resources Conservation and Research

Best institutions to study Natural Resources Conservation and Research in California

The Natural Resources Conservation and Research program focuses on the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources. It equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to address environmental challenges and promote…

Institutions
102
offering CIP 03.01
States & territories
56
with a program page
Degrees / yr
3,521
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median grad earnings
$38,954
1 year after graduation
With earnings data
24
College Scorecard
Median net price
$26,171
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
56%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Conservation Scientists
$88,030
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 10 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard).

#InstitutionGrad earnings (1 yr)CompletionsGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Occidental College
Los Angeles Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$49,5291481%$28,024
2University of California - Berkeley
Berkeley Public · Bachelor's degree
$47,33844593%$12,988
3University of Redlands
Redlands Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$46,1642667%$22,706$26,000
4Santa Clara University
Santa Clara Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$42,5763988%$44,094$23,250
5Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park Public · Bachelor's degree
$40,7591658%$15,856
6University of California - Davis
Davis Public · Bachelor's degree
$38,95433586%$15,200
7University of San Francisco
San Francisco Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$38,9497970%$37,121$23,125
8California State University - East Bay
Hayward Public · Bachelor's degree
$38,8761448%
9University of California - San Diego
La Jolla Public · Bachelor's degree
$37,5246886%$18,000
10California State University - San Marcos
San Marcos Public · Bachelor's degree
$37,3643655%$12,424

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Conservation Scientists (SOC 19-1031).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+3.4%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~2,500
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$67,950
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingScienceWritingCritical Thinking

What Conservation Scientists earn in California

Jobs in California
2,110
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$88,030
median $79,810
Best-paying metro
$118,820
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Related careers

Compliance Officers
$102,490 avg · 49,880 jobs
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
$112,360 avg · 12,490 jobs
Forest and Conservation Technicians
$63,680 avg · 6,640 jobs
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
$67,750 avg · 6,010 jobs
Conservation Scientists
$88,030 avg · 2,110 jobs
Foresters
$110,770 avg · 820 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Natural Resources Conservation and Research programs in California.

Which Natural Resources Conservation and Research program in California has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (College Scorecard), Occidental College tops the list at $49,529. Compare it against completions, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Conservation Scientists earn in California?+

The average annual wage for Conservation Scientists in California is $88,030 (median $79,810), across about 2,110 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Natural Resources Conservation and Research program?+

The Natural Resources Conservation and Research program focuses on the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources. It equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to address environmental challenges and promote…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop reading comprehension, active listening, speaking, science, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Conservation Scientists?+

The national job outlook is about +3.4% growth with around 2,500 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

Natural Resources Conservation and Research in other statesAlabamaDistrict of ColumbiaWest VirginiaKansasOklahomaNew JerseyArizonaRhode Island

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation

Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card