Best Conservation Scientist programs in North Carolina, ranked by enrollment
Manage, improve, and protect natural resources to maximize their use without damaging the environment. May conduct soil surveys and develop plans to eliminate soil erosion or to protect rangelands.
25 schools in North Carolina run programs that feed this job, graduating 545 people a year. The job pays a median of $64,460 in North Carolina across about 540 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in North Carolina that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
13 programs in North Carolina that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in North Carolina (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own North Carolina page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natural Resources/Conservation, Generalmain feeder CIP 03.0101In North Carolina → | 200 | 36.7% | 4 | $34,020 | $23,032 |
| 2 | CIP 30.4401In North Carolina → | 79 | 14.5% | 3 | — | — |
| 3 | CIP 01.0308In North Carolina → | 70 | 12.8% | 7 | $36,083 | $17,395 |
| 4 | CIP 03.0201In North Carolina → | 66 | 12.1% | 4 | $37,946 | $24,125 |
| 5 | CIP 03.0501In North Carolina → | 31 | 5.7% | 2 | $42,109 | $21,842 |
| 6 | CIP 30.3301In North Carolina → | 27 | 5.0% | 5 | $37,223 | $20,968 |
| 7 | CIP 03.0506In North Carolina → | 16 | 2.9% | 1 | $42,109 | $21,842 |
| 8 | CIP 03.0205In North Carolina → | 14 | 2.6% | 2 | $37,946 | $24,125 |
| 9 | CIP 26.1307In North Carolina → | 14 | 2.6% | 2 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 10 | CIP 26.1301In North Carolina → | 13 | 2.4% | 2 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 11 | CIP 26.1305In North Carolina → | 8 | 1.5% | 2 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 12 | CIP 03.0601In North Carolina → | 5 | 0.9% | 1 | $28,750 | $24,798 |
| 13 | CIP 26.1399In North Carolina → | 2 | 0.4% | 1 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
Top 25 schools in North Carolina
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 3 of the 25 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC Public · 5 feeder programs | 158 | Natural Resources/Conservation, General | $32,948 | 85% | — | 42% |
| 2 | Duke University Durham, NC Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 136 | Natural Resources/Conservation, General | $28,121 | 97% | $16,260 | 6% |
| 3 | Appalachian State University Boone, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 56 | Geography and Environmental Studies | — | 75% | — | 90% |
| 4 | Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 28 | Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General | $36,846 | 60% | — | 82% |
| 5 | Warren Wilson College Swannanoa, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 20 | Conservation Biology | — | 42% | $22,259 | 71% |
| 6 | Lenoir Community College Kinston, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture | — | 36% | — | — |
| 7 | Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 17 | Sustainability Studies | — | 89% | $20,914 | 22% |
| 8 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 16 | Geography and Environmental Studies | — | 91% | — | 15% |
| 9 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Geography and Environmental Studies | — | 56% | — | 89% |
| 10 | Davidson - Davie Community College Thomasville, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture | — | 46% | — | — |
| 11 | University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management | — | 71% | — | 64% |
| 12 | Central Carolina Community College Sanford, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture | — | 43% | — | — |
| 13 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Sustainability Studies | — | 69% | — | 80% |
| 14 | Wayne Community College Goldsboro, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture | — | 49% | — | — |
| 15 | Wingate University Wingate, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Environmental Biology | — | 46% | $21,585 | 91% |
| 16 | East Carolina University Greenville, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management | — | 63% | — | 89% |
| 17 | Haywood Community College Clyde, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management | — | 34% | — | — |
| 18 | Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Sustainability Studies | — | 44% | — | 64% |
| 19 | Guilford College Greensboro, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Sustainability Studies | — | 46% | $25,345 | 80% |
| 20 | Lenoir - Rhyne University Hickory, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Sustainability Studies | — | 48% | $23,920 | 85% |
| 21 | Montgomery Community College Troy, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture | — | 84% | — | — |
| 22 | University of Mount Olive Mount Olive, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 3 | Natural Resources/Conservation, General | — | 52% | $16,473 | 76% |
| 23 | Mars Hill University Mars Hill, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other | — | 45% | $20,402 | 68% |
| 24 | Pamlico Community College Grantsboro, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Natural Resources/Conservation, General | — | 54% | — | — |
| 25 | Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Conservation Biology | — | 61% | $24,872 | 62% |
All 25 schools in North Carolina
Every school in North Carolina with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Raleigh | Public | 158 | 5 |
| Duke University | Durham | Private not-for-profit | 136 | 4 |
| Appalachian State University | Boone | Public | 56 | 1 |
| Western Carolina University | Cullowhee | Public | 28 | 1 |
| Warren Wilson College | Swannanoa | Private not-for-profit | 20 | 2 |
| Lenoir Community College | Kinston | Public | 18 | 1 |
| Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem | Private not-for-profit | 17 | 2 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill | Public | 16 | 2 |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro | Public | 14 | 1 |
| Davidson - Davie Community College | Thomasville | Public | 11 | 1 |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington | Wilmington | Public | 9 | 1 |
| Central Carolina Community College | Sanford | Public | 8 | 1 |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte | Public | 8 | 1 |
| Wayne Community College | Goldsboro | Public | 8 | 1 |
| Wingate University | Wingate | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 1 |
What conservation scientists earn in North Carolina
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $73,010. North Carolina pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in North Carolina
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Conservation Scientists page.
How to become a Conservation Scientist
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in North Carolina
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 17 majors mapped to Conservation Scientists17 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 01.0308Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture
- 01.1106Range Science and Management
- 03.0101Natural Resources/Conservation, General
- 03.0201Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General
- 03.0205Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management
- 03.0206Land Use Planning and Management/Development
- 03.0501Forestry, General
- 03.0502Forest Sciences and Biology
- 03.0506Forest Management/Forest Resources Management
- 03.0601Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management
- 26.1301Ecology
- 26.1305Environmental Biology
- 26.1307Conservation Biology
- 26.1310Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- 26.1399Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other
- 30.3301Sustainability Studies
- 30.4401Geography and Environmental Studies
Common questions
Answers for people weighing conservation scientists programs in North Carolina.
What degree do you need to become a Conservation Scientist?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Natural Resources/Conservation, General, which awarded 200 degrees in North Carolina in 2024-25, 36.7% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Conservation Scientist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 13 programs to this occupation. The largest are Natural Resources Conservation and Research, Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Geography and Environmental Studies, Agricultural Production Operations, plus 4 more. Together they graduate about 545 people a year in North Carolina.
How much do conservation scientists earn in North Carolina?+
The median is $64,460 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 11.7% below the U.S. median of $73,010. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for conservation scientists growing?+
BLS projects a +3.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 2,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in North Carolina?+
25 institutions in North Carolina reported graduates from at least one of the 13 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do conservation scientists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Naturalist, Park Guide, Park Ranger, Conservationist, Park Naturalist, Range Technician among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-1031.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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