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2026 Best Value Natural Resource Management Schools in Ohio

[Natural Resource Management](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/natural-resource-management/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for natural resource management students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Natural Resource Management Schools in Ohio

2026 Best Value Natural Resource Management Schools in Ohio

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

Hocking College
Nelsonville, OH

$5,646 In-State Tuition & Fees

$12,000 Avg Student Debt

$37,791 Median Earnings (10yr)

Hocking College tops our 2026 list of the best value natural resource management schools in Ohio. Set in the rural area of Nelsonville, Hocking College is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,646, while out-of-state students pay about $10,290. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete the natural resource management program here. Natural Resource Management graduates of Hocking College earn a median of $27,817 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.

2

Ohio State University Main Campus
Columbus, OH

$13,244 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$60,409 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in natural resource management will find it at Ohio State University Main Campus, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,244, while out-of-state students pay about $40,022. Typical student debt for natural resource management graduates is $27,000. Early-career natural resource management graduates make about $35,019. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Ohio State University Main Campus admits about 61% of applicants.

View All Natural Resource Management 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 · 7 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.