Majors
Best Colleges for Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, by Earnings
67 of the colleges we track award a bachelor's degree in Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, about 1,381 degrees a year. Across the 26 that report earnings, graduates make a median of $53,631 four years after finishing.
| Rank | College | State | Median earnings, 4 years out | Degrees a year | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University-Bakersfield | CA | $82,315 | 6 | 93.9% |
| 2 | West Virginia University | WV | $75,022 | 23 | 89% |
| 3 | University of Rhode Island | RI | $72,311 | 34 | 72.2% |
| 4 | University of New Hampshire | NH | $71,279 | 7 | 88.2% |
| 5 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | CA | $68,965 | 129 | 31.3% |
| 6 | Michigan State University | MI | $68,913 | 30 | 84.8% |
| 7 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | NY | $65,604 | 46 | 63.3% |
| 8 | Everglades University | FL | $61,850 | 21 | 81.5% |
| 9 | Marist University | NY | $58,610 | 11 | 56.5% |
| 10 | Texas A&M University | TX | $54,665 | 8 | 57.4% |
| 11 | Unity Environmental University | ME | $53,934 | 19 | |
| 12 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science | NY | $53,788 | 22 | 76.5% |
| 13 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point | WI | $53,642 | 75 | 91.8% |
| 14 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | OH | $53,620 | 17 | 81% |
| 15 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | HI | $52,941 | 40 | 86.6% |
| 16 | Oregon State University | OR | $52,730 | 155 | 77.3% |
| 17 | Oregon State University-Cascades Campus | OR | $52,730 | 5 | 63.1% |
| 18 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus | ND | $52,570 | 22 | 95% |
| 19 | Ohio State University | OH | $52,528 | 50 | 60.6% |
| 20 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | $52,242 | 34 | 58.1% |
| 21 | Louisiana State University | LA | $50,173 | 58 | 73.3% |
| 22 | Western Carolina University | NC | $49,834 | 23 | 81.8% |
| 23 | Florida Gulf Coast University | FL | $48,942 | 37 | 63.4% |
| 24 | Glenville State University | WV | $46,610 | 12 | |
| 25 | The University of Tennessee-Martin | TN | $46,540 | 26 | 88.2% |
| 26 | Auburn University | AL | $40,076 | 46 | 45.9% |
41 more colleges award this degree but have no earnings figure, usually because the program is small.
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Frequently asked questions
Which college has the highest-paid Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates?
California State University-Bakersfield ($82,315), West Virginia University ($75,022), University of Rhode Island ($72,311), University of New Hampshire ($71,279), California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ($68,965) report the highest median earnings four years after graduation.
How much do Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy majors make?
The median across 26 colleges is $53,631 four years after graduation. By college it runs from $40,076 to $82,315.
Which colleges have the biggest Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy programs?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in a year: Oregon State University (155), California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (129), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (75), Louisiana State University (58), Colorado State University (51).
Does a higher-earning program mean a better program?
Not on its own. Earnings reflect where graduates live, what jobs they take, and who enrolled in the first place, as well as the teaching. The figures cover only graduates who received federal financial aid, and small programs are left out, so a college missing from this list may still have a strong department.
Source: College Scorecard, Most Recent Data by Field of Study (U.S. Department of Education), 2026-06-10 release, federal program category "Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy". Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal financial aid, working and not enrolled, four years after a bachelor's degree.
