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# Natural Resources Management and Policy Programs by Earnings

Updated September 30, 2026

This page ranks the 29 Natural Resources Management and Policy programs in the United States by median earnings of Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates four years after completing. [California State University-Bakersfield](/school/california-state-university-bakersfield/majors/) leads the list with median earnings of $82,315 for its graduates four years after completing.

Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $82,315 to $19,592, with a median of $52,941. For 5 of the 29 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

Public institutions account for 24 of the 29 programs, or 83%, alongside 5 private nonprofits. California State University-Bakersfield posts the lowest average net price on the list at $5,652.

Texas A&M University-College Station ranks 25th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

Top 25 of 29 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | California State University-Bakersfield · Bakersfield, CA | $82,315 | $5,652 | $3,536 | 93.9% |
|  | [California State University-Bakersfield](/school/california-state-university-bakersfield/majors/) reports [median earnings of $82,315](/school/california-state-university-bakersfield/outcomes/) for its Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. |
| 2 | West Virginia University · Morgantown, WV | $75,022 | $15,634 | $9,450 | 89.0% |
|  | [West Virginia University](/school/west-virginia-university/majors/) [admits 89% of applicants](/school/west-virginia-university/admissions/) and its Natural Resources Management and Policy completers who borrowed left with a median of $22,239 in federal loans. |
| 3 | University of Rhode Island · Kingston, RI | $72,311 | $21,440 | $14,368 | 72.2% |
|  | [University of Rhode Island](/school/university-of-rhode-island/majors/) ranks 3rd on this page, with [median earnings of $72,311](/school/university-of-rhode-island/outcomes/) for its Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates four years after completing. |
| 4 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus · Durham, NH | $71,279 | $23,805 | $16,523 | 88.2% |
|  | An [average net price of $23,805](/school/university-of-new-hampshire-main-campus/cost/) coincides with median earnings of $71,279 for Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates at [University of New Hampshire-Main Campus](/school/university-of-new-hampshire-main-campus/majors/) four years after completing. |
| 5 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $68,965 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
|  | [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/majors/) [ranks 58th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports 127 graduates in the earnings cohort for Natural Resources Management and Policy. |
| 6 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $68,913 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
|  | [Michigan State University](/school/michigan-state-university/majors/) posts [median earnings of $68,913](/school/michigan-state-university/outcomes/) for its Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $7,068 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 7 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry · Syracuse, NY | $65,604 | $18,952 | $9,473 | 63.3% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $11,000 in federal loans at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. |
| 8 | Everglades University · Boca Raton, FL | $61,850 | $27,371 | $25,556 | 81.5% |
|  | Everglades University, a private nonprofit university, reports median earnings of $61,850 for its Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 81%. |
| 9 | Marist University · Poughkeepsie, NY | $58,610 | $41,544 | $26,083 | 56.5% |
|  | [Marist University](/school/marist-university/majors/) shows an [average net price of $41,544](/school/marist-university/cost/) and its Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates earn a median of $58,610 four years after completing. |
| 10 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $54,665 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
|  | [Texas A&M University-College Station](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/) [ranks 25th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $54,665 for its Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates four years after completing. |
| 11 | Unity Environmental University · New Gloucester, ME | $53,934 | $19,104 | $18,370 | Not reported |
|  | [Unity Environmental University](/school/unity-environmental-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $53,934](/school/unity-environmental-university/outcomes/) for its Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates four years after completing, and its completers who borrowed left with a median of $26,944 in federal loans. |
| 12 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science · Paul Smiths, NY | $53,788 | $26,683 | $16,732 | 76.5% |
|  | Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science admits 77% of applicants and its Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates earn a median of $53,788 four years after completing. |
| 13 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point · Stevens Point, WI | $53,642 | $14,559 | $8,833 | 91.8% |
|  | [University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point](/school/university-of-wisconsin-stevens-point/majors/) reports [median earnings of $53,642](/school/university-of-wisconsin-stevens-point/outcomes/) for its Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates four years after completing, with 85 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 14 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus · Bowling Green, OH | $53,620 | $24,022 | $18,396 | 81.0% |
|  | [Bowling Green State University-Main Campus](/school/bowling-green-state-university-main-campus/majors/) [admits 81% of applicants](/school/bowling-green-state-university-main-campus/admissions/) and shows a median federal debt of $25,834 among Natural Resources Management and Policy completers who borrowed. |
| 15 | University of Hawaii at Manoa · Honolulu, HI | $52,941 | $15,664 | $10,675 | 86.6% |
|  | [University of Hawaii at Manoa](/school/university-of-hawaii-at-manoa/majors/) [ranks 258th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-hawaii-at-manoa/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, alongside median earnings of $52,941 for its Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates four years after completing. |
| 16 | Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR | $52,730 | $19,604 | $12,107 | 77.3% |
|  | [Oregon State University](/school/oregon-state-university/majors/) posts an [average net price of $19,604](/school/oregon-state-university/cost/) and a median federal debt of $25,666 among Natural Resources Management and Policy completers who borrowed. |
| 17 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus · Fargo, ND | $52,570 | $15,543 | $9,370 | 95.0% |
|  | [North Dakota State University-Main Campus](/school/north-dakota-state-university-main-campus/majors/) reports [median earnings of $52,570](/school/north-dakota-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) for its Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 19 graduates. |
| 18 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $52,528 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
|  | [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) carries an [average net price of $4,885](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 90th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 19 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick · New Brunswick, NJ | $52,242 | $24,406 | $16,343 | 58.2% |
|  | [Rutgers University-New Brunswick](/school/rutgers-university-new-brunswick/majors/) [admits 58% of applicants](/school/rutgers-university-new-brunswick/admissions/), and its Natural Resources Management and Policy completers who borrowed left with a median federal debt of $23,067. |
| 20 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College · Baton Rouge, LA | $50,173 | $19,151 | $13,056 | 73.3% |
|  | [Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/majors/) reports [median earnings of $50,173](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/outcomes/) for its Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates four years after completing, with 58 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 21 | Western Carolina University · Cullowhee, NC | $49,834 | $13,315 | $8,816 | 81.8% |
|  | [Western Carolina University](/school/western-carolina-university/majors/) shows an [average net price of $13,315](/school/western-carolina-university/cost/) and a median federal debt of $18,500 among Natural Resources Management and Policy completers who borrowed. |
| 22 | Florida Gulf Coast University · Fort Myers, FL | $48,942 | $12,568 | $8,220 | 63.4% |
|  | [Florida Gulf Coast University](/school/florida-gulf-coast-university/majors/) [ranks 259th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/florida-gulf-coast-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates four years after completing earned a median of $48,942. |
| 23 | The University of Tennessee-Martin · Martin, TN | $46,540 | $10,701 | $7,151 | 88.2% |
|  | The University of Tennessee-Martin admits 88% of applicants and carries an average net price of $7,151 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 24 | Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI | $44,384 | $17,597 | $12,185 | 89.8% |
|  | [Central Michigan University](/school/central-michigan-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $44,384](/school/central-michigan-university/outcomes/) for its Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 7 graduates. |
| 25 | Auburn University · Auburn, AL | $40,076 | $24,323 | $16,681 | 45.9% |
|  | [Auburn University](/school/auburn-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $40,076](/school/auburn-university/outcomes/) for its Natural Resources Management and Policy graduates four years after completing, with 35 graduates in the earnings cohort. |

Continue by region[Best Natural Resources Policy Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-natural-resources-management-and-policy-programs-in-the-midwest/)[Natural Resources Policy Programs in the Northeast](/rankings/best-natural-resources-management-and-policy-programs-in-the-northeast/)[Best Natural Resources Policy Programs in the South](/rankings/best-natural-resources-management-and-policy-programs-in-the-south/)[Natural Resources Management and Policy Programs in the West](/rankings/best-natural-resources-management-and-policy-programs-in-the-west/)

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Bioenergy graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the United States appear. The figures cover federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 5 of the 29 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 gap between first-ranked California State University-Bakersfield and second-ranked West Virginia University is $7,293, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $62,723.

## Related rankings

-   Natural Resources Colleges
-   Natural Resources Colleges for Social Mobility