2026 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in South Dakota
[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 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for natural resources & conservation students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools in South Dakota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in natural resources & conservation, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Natural Resources & Conservation Schools
Our analysis ranked South Dakota State University the best value for a degree in natural resources & conservation in South Dakota. Set in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,299 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $12,809. Natural Resources & Conservation graduates carry a median of $24,798 in student loans. Natural Resources & Conservation graduates of South Dakota State University earn a median of $39,483 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 98%.
More Natural Resources & Conservation Rankings
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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 · 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.
