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2026 Best Value Natural Resource Management Schools in California

[Natural Resource Management](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/natural-resource-management/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong natural resource management education at a price that pays off.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for natural resource management students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Natural Resource Management Schools in California

2026 Best Value Natural Resource Management Schools in California

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the natural resource management degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Natural Resource Management Schools

1

California State University Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA

$8,087 In-State Tuition & Fees

$59,009 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in natural resource management, no school beat California State University Bakersfield this year. Set in the city of Bakersfield, California State University Bakersfield is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,087 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $20,687. Graduates go on to earn a median of $59,009 ten years after entry. California State University Bakersfield admits about 94% of applicants.

2

California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA

$12,161 In-State Tuition & Fees

$20,000 Avg Student Debt

$90,768 Median Earnings (10yr)

California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a great value for students pursuing a degree in natural resource management, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,161 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $33,230. Natural Resource Management graduates carry a median of $20,000 in student loans. Early-career natural resource management graduates make about $37,126. Set against $20,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 31%.

View All Natural Resource Management Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 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.