Best Natural Resources Schools (2026): 6 Ranked by Salary & ROI
These are the top schools offering Natural Resources, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Natural Resources graduate earns $35,087/yr across 6 schools.
BLS projects 2.5% employment growth for occupations in this field from 2024–2034, with approximately 56 annual job openings per related program area.
All Natural Resources Programs Ranked
Click any row for full earnings projections and career path breakdown.
| # | School | TSW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Colorado Northwestern Community College
Rangely, CO · Natural Resources |
64
56–67 |
$38,698/yr | 151.2x |
| 2 |
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL · Natural Resources |
58
54–60 |
$36,873/yr | 74.6x |
| 3 |
Fox Valley Technical College
Appleton, WI · Natural Resources |
49
42–52 |
$32,996/yr | 43.8x |
| 4 |
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Tempe, AZ · Natural Resources |
49
45–51 |
$38,514/yr | 31.0x |
| 5 |
Vincennes University
Vincennes, IN · Natural Resources |
46
38–49 |
$32,138/yr | 41.0x |
| 6 |
Lackawanna College
Scranton, PA · Natural Resources |
40
35–43 |
$31,301/yr | 16.4x |
Programs by State
Top states by program availability. Click a state for the full in-state ranking.
About This Ranking
What we ranked
Best Natural Resources Schools ranks 6 programs across the United States by the TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings, return on investment, and job-market demand into a single 0-100 metric.
Data sources
Earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, which tracks graduate income one and five years after program completion. Job-market projections use Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 employment data.
How to read the table
Use the sort controls below the headline to re-rank by earnings, ROI, or other metrics. Click any school name for full earnings projections, three-scenario modeling, and detailed program data. Most students attend a school within driving distance — local rankings are usually more actionable than national.
Caveats & limitations
Rankings reflect what the data can measure: post-graduation earnings, debt levels, and broad labor-market trends. They cannot capture program quality nuances like instructor expertise, hands-on equipment access, or industry connections. Treat rankings as a starting point — visit schools and talk to current students before committing.
Methodology
Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (projected earnings vs. program tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.