Natural Resources Conservation and Research at Colorado Northwestern Community College

Colorado Northwestern Community College's Natural Resources Conservation certificate graduates earn $38,698 in their first year—beating 95% of similar programs nationally and matching Colorado's state median. With debt at $23,250, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60 is manageable, especially for a certificate program that gets students into the workforce quickly. The debt level is actually lower than the national median for this credential, meaning students here are borrowing less than peers at most competing programs while earning more.

The caveat: these figures come from a small graduating class, so individual outcomes can swing the averages significantly. Still, the pattern makes sense for rural Colorado—natural resources careers around Rangely (oil, gas, rangeland management) often pay decent wages without requiring a four-year degree. The quick turnaround from certificate to paycheck is the real advantage here compared to longer degree programs.

For students certain about a career path in natural resources and comfortable with the rural setting, this certificate delivers strong immediate earnings relative to modest debt. Just recognize you're looking at limited data points, and outcomes for your student could vary considerably from these medians.