Best Conservation Scientist programs in Pennsylvania, 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.
33 schools in Pennsylvania run programs that feed this job, graduating 618 people a year. The job pays a median of $61,480 in Pennsylvania across about 900 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
13 programs in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Pennsylvania (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 Pennsylvania page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 30.3301In Pennsylvania → | 227 | 36.7% | 18 | $37,223 | $20,968 |
| 2 | CIP 03.0601In Pennsylvania → | 112 | 18.1% | 4 | $28,750 | $24,798 |
| 3 | Natural Resources/Conservation, Generalmain feeder CIP 03.0101In Pennsylvania → | 71 | 11.5% | 3 | $34,020 | $23,032 |
| 4 | CIP 30.4401In Pennsylvania → | 58 | 9.4% | 2 | — | — |
| 5 | CIP 26.1310In Pennsylvania → | 32 | 5.2% | 3 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 6 | CIP 26.1301In Pennsylvania → | 29 | 4.7% | 3 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 7 | CIP 26.1305In Pennsylvania → | 24 | 3.9% | 3 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 8 | CIP 03.0502In Pennsylvania → | 19 | 3.1% | 1 | $42,109 | $21,842 |
| 9 | CIP 01.0308In Pennsylvania → | 17 | 2.8% | 3 | $36,083 | $17,395 |
| 10 | CIP 03.0201In Pennsylvania → | 15 | 2.4% | 2 | $37,946 | $24,125 |
| 11 | CIP 26.1307In Pennsylvania → | 10 | 1.6% | 2 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 12 | CIP 03.0506In Pennsylvania → | 3 | 0.5% | 1 | $42,109 | $21,842 |
| 13 | CIP 26.1399In Pennsylvania → | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
Top 25 schools in Pennsylvania
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 6 of the 33 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · 6 feeder programs | 148 | Geography and Environmental Studies | — | 86% | — | 61% |
| 2 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 105 | Sustainability Studies | $40,485 | 85% | — | 58% |
| 3 | Delaware Valley University Doylestown, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 65 | Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management | $28,178 | 56% | $25,402 | 93% |
| 4 | Allegheny College Meadville, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 40 | Sustainability Studies | — | 73% | $18,524 | 55% |
| 5 | Chatham University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 25 | Sustainability Studies | $18,954 | 63% | $23,700 | 62% |
| 6 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 24 | Natural Resources/Conservation, General | — | 66% | — | 71% |
| 7 | Pennsylvania Western University California, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management | — | 52% | — | 94% |
| 8 | Juniata College Huntingdon, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 19 | Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management | — | 74% | $24,867 | 79% |
| 9 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Environmental Biology | $35,762 | 43% | — | 92% |
| 10 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Sustainability Studies | — | 94% | $23,803 | 12% |
| 11 | Pennsylvania State University - Penn State DuBois DuBois, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management | — | 34% | — | 97% |
| 12 | Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General | — | 88% | $26,912 | 26% |
| 13 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | — | 75% | — | 80% |
| 14 | Saint Vincent College Latrobe, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Ecology | — | 69% | $21,124 | 62% |
| 15 | Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Sustainability Studies | — | 82% | $23,111 | 72% |
| 16 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 9 | Sustainability Studies | — | 71% | — | 78% |
| 17 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Sustainability Studies | — | 56% | — | 87% |
| 18 | Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Ecology | — | 82% | $23,620 | 81% |
| 19 | Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Environmental Biology | — | 76% | $22,907 | 78% |
| 20 | Grove City College Grove City, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Conservation Biology | — | 83% | — | 72% |
| 21 | Lackawanna College Scranton, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Natural Resources/Conservation, General | $31,301 | 37% | $25,320 | — |
| 22 | Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Sustainability Studies | — | 63% | $27,082 | 91% |
| 23 | Northampton County Area Community College Bethlehem, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Sustainability Studies | — | 24% | — | — |
| 24 | York College of Pennsylvania York, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 5 | Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture | — | 64% | $18,682 | 74% |
| 25 | Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Sustainability Studies | — | 75% | $25,675 | 79% |
All 33 schools in Pennsylvania
Every school in Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus | University Park | Public | 148 | 6 |
| University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh | Public | 105 | 2 |
| Delaware Valley University | Doylestown | Private not-for-profit | 65 | 2 |
| Allegheny College | Meadville | Private not-for-profit | 40 | 1 |
| Chatham University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 25 | 2 |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | Slippery Rock | Public | 24 | 2 |
| Pennsylvania Western University | California | Public | 23 | 1 |
| Juniata College | Huntingdon | Private not-for-profit | 19 | 2 |
| East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | East Stroudsburg | Public | 16 | 1 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 15 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania State University - Penn State DuBois | DuBois | Public | 14 | 1 |
| Lehigh University | Bethlehem | Private not-for-profit | 12 | 1 |
| Temple University | Philadelphia | Public | 12 | 2 |
| Saint Vincent College | Latrobe | Private not-for-profit | 11 | 1 |
| Muhlenberg College | Allentown | Private not-for-profit | 9 | 1 |
What conservation scientists earn in Pennsylvania
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $73,010. Pennsylvania pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania.
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 Sustainability Studies, which awarded 227 degrees in Pennsylvania 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 Sustainability Studies, Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management, Ecology, Natural Resources Conservation and Research, plus 4 more. Together they graduate about 618 people a year in Pennsylvania.
How much do conservation scientists earn in Pennsylvania?+
The median is $61,480 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 15.8% 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 Pennsylvania?+
33 institutions in Pennsylvania 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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