---

2026 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Kansas

[Natural Resources & Conservation](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

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

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Kansas

2026 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in Kansas

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in natural resources & conservation, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools

1

University Of Kansas
Lawrence, KS

$12,102 In-State Tuition & Fees

$19,282 Avg Student Debt

$61,945 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in natural resources & conservation, no school beat University Of Kansas this year. University Of Kansas is a very large public school located in the city of Lawrence. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,102, while out-of-state students pay about $30,432. Natural Resources & Conservation graduates carry a median of $19,282 in student loans. Natural Resources & Conservation graduates of University Of Kansas earn a median of $34,374 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 94%.

2

Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS

$11,221 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,361 Avg Student Debt

$57,262 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Kansas State University earned it the #2 place for natural resources & conservation. Set in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,221, with out-of-state students paying around $28,568. Typical student debt for natural resources & conservation graduates is $23,361. Soon after graduation, natural resources & conservation degree recipients from Kansas State University generally make around $44,347. That is a strong return on a $23,361 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.

View All Natural Resources & Conservation 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 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.