Best Natural Resources Colleges in Michigan (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 13 Natural Resources programs in Michigan by median earnings of Natural Resources graduates four years after completing. Across the 10 schools with a reported completion median, median earnings range from $65,714 at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor to $29,685, with a median of $50,644.
For 2 of the listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 11 of the 13 schools, or 85% of the list. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally, and it also posts the highest six-year completion rate at 93%. Oakland University carries the lowest average net price on the page, at $9,120.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Natural Resources Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $65,714 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor reports median earnings of $65,714 for its Natural Resources graduates four years after completing, and its six-year completion rate of 93% is the highest on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Natural Resources Conservation and Research (123 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Natural Resources Conservation and Research ($65,714) | |||||
| 2 | Oakland University · Rochester Hills, MI | $59,922 | $9,120 | $4,422 | 87.8% |
| Oakland University carries the lowest average net price on the page at $9,120, and its Natural Resources graduates earn a median of $59,922 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Natural Resources Conservation and Research (28 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Natural Resources Conservation and Research ($59,922) | |||||
| 3 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $57,852 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
| Michigan State University admits 85% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 81%, alongside median earnings of $57,852 for its Natural Resources graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Natural Resources Conservation and Research (74 graduates), Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management (64 graduates), Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy (29 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Natural Resources Conservation and Research ($60,728), Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management ($49,948) | |||||
| 4 | Eastern Michigan University · Ypsilanti, MI | $54,315 | $15,407 | $13,250 | 79.6% |
| Eastern Michigan University ranks 4th on this list, with an average net price of $15,407 and a six-year completion rate of 46%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Natural Resources Conservation and Research (24 graduates) | |||||
| 5 | Adrian College · Adrian, MI | $52,176 | $25,368 | $19,542 | 72.5% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Adrian, Adrian College reports median earnings of $52,176 for its Natural Resources graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $25,368. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Natural Resources Conservation and Research (7 graduates) | |||||
| 6 | Grand Valley State University · Allendale, MI | $49,113 | $16,317 | $12,272 | 83.0% |
| Grand Valley State University graduates 67% of its students within six years, and its Natural Resources graduates earn a median of $49,113 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Natural Resources Conservation and Research (101 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Natural Resources Conservation and Research ($49,113) | |||||
| 7 | Michigan Technological University · Houghton, MI | $48,501 | $14,182 | $2,045 | 92.4% |
| With an admission rate of 92%, Michigan Technological University is the most open school on this list, and its Natural Resources graduates earn a median of $48,501 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Forestry (21 graduates), Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management (16 graduates), Natural Resources Conservation and Research (10 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Forestry ($55,912) | |||||
| 8 | Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI | $47,486 | $17,597 | $12,185 | 89.8% |
| Central Michigan University ranks 414th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports a six-year completion rate of 59%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Natural Resources Conservation and Research (27 graduates), Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy (7 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Natural Resources Conservation and Research ($48,290) | |||||
| 9 | Northern Michigan University · Marquette, MI | $44,802 | $14,085 | $7,697 | 84.0% |
| Northern Michigan University posts an average net price of $7,697 for families earning under $30,000 and graduates 52% within six years. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Natural Resources Conservation and Research (58 graduates), Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management (19 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Natural Resources Conservation and Research ($50,300) | |||||
| 10 | Lake Superior State University · Sault Ste Marie, MI | $44,090 | $12,822 | $3,516 | Not reported |
| Lake Superior State University reports median earnings of $44,090 for its Natural Resources graduates four years after completing, and its six-year completion rate is 51%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management (26 graduates), Natural Resources Conservation and Research (7 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management ($44,090) | |||||
| 11 | University of Michigan-Dearborn · Dearborn, MI | $35,060 | $9,492 | $7,211 | 55.6% |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn reports median earnings of $35,060 for its Natural Resources graduates two years after completing, and its admission rate is 56%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Natural Resources Conservation and Research (13 graduates) | |||||
| 12 | Calvin University · Grand Rapids, MI | $29,685 | $22,992 | $19,281 | 70.9% |
| Calvin University ranks 1140th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Natural Resources graduates earn a median of $29,685 two years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Natural Resources Conservation and Research (11 graduates) | |||||
| 13 | Western Michigan University · Kalamazoo, MI | $21,919 | $15,273 | $5,263 | 84.6% |
| Western Michigan University ranks 13th on this list, admits 85% of applicants, and reports an average net price of $5,263 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Natural Resources Conservation and Research (30 graduates) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Natural Resources graduates four years after completing, or two years for programs that report only a two-year figure, highest first. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured after completing their program. For 2 of the 13 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The figures cited on this page cover the 10 schools with a reported completion median. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor leads Oakland University by $5,792, and the spread from top to bottom reaches $36,029.
Job market context in Michigan
Natural Resources graduates in Michigan enter occupations such as Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health, First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers, and Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health. The median annual wage across those occupations is $71,951, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $58,136. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 2.0% higher, with 4,900 projected openings a year, or about 651 openings a year for every hundred graduates, meaning more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of graduates four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures shown here.
Related rankings
- Natural Resources Colleges
- Best Colleges in Michigan
- Natural Resources Colleges in California
- Natural Resources Colleges in Colorado
- Natural Resources Colleges in Florida
- Natural Resources Colleges in Georgia
- Natural Resources Colleges in Michigan for Social Mobility