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2026 Best Value Natural Resources Law Enforcement & Protective Services Schools in the The Plains States Region

[Natural Resources Law Enforcement & Protective Services](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/natural-resource-management/natural-resources-law-enforcement-and-protective-services/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong natural resources law enforcement & protective services education at a price that pays off.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for natural resources law enforcement & protective services students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Natural Resources Law Enforcement & Protective Services Schools in the The Plains States Region

2026 Best Value Natural Resources Law Enforcement & Protective Services Schools in the The Plains States Region

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the natural resources law enforcement & protective services degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Natural Resources Law Enforcement & Protective Services Schools

1

Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College
Hibbing, MN

$6,022 In-State Tuition & Fees

$17,029 Avg Student Debt

$45,570 Median Earnings (10yr)

Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College earned the #1 spot for value among natural resources law enforcement & protective services schools in the The Plains States Region. Set in the town of Hibbing, Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,022. Typical student debt for natural resources law enforcement & protective services graduates is $17,029. Soon after graduation, natural resources law enforcement & protective services degree recipients from Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College generally make around $45,589. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.

2

South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD

$9,299 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,989 Avg Student Debt

$55,070 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in natural resources law enforcement & protective services will find it at South Dakota State University, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,299, with out-of-state students paying around $12,809. Typical student debt for natural resources law enforcement & protective services graduates is $24,989. Early-career natural resources law enforcement & protective services graduates make about $51,260. Set against $24,989 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. South Dakota State University admits about 98% of applicants.

View All Natural Resources Law Enforcement & Protective Services Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.