Natural Resources Conservation and Research at Franklin and Marshall College

Franklin and Marshall's environmental science graduates start modestly at $36,536, though that figure comes from fewer than 30 students, so it could swing considerably year to year. Still, the program performs respectably—ahead of both the Pennsylvania median ($33,069) and the national median ($33,988), landing near the 60th percentile in both comparisons. The debt load of $22,888 is reasonable, translating to a manageable 0.63 debt-to-earnings ratio that most graduates should be able to handle.

The real question is whether F&M's selective admissions (32% acceptance rate, 1394 SAT average) and likely higher sticker price justify this outcome. You're paying for a prestigious liberal arts education at a school where only 17% of students receive Pell grants, yet graduates are earning roughly $10,000 less than peers from Kutztown, a regional state university. The gap widens dramatically compared to Villanova ($56,549) or Bucknell ($46,698). For a family paying private school tuition, that's worth examining closely.

If your child is passionate about conservation and values F&M's teaching quality and alumni network for non-salary reasons, the debt level won't be crushing. But if maximizing early-career earnings matters—especially important in an environmental field where graduate school is common—Pennsylvania's public universities deliver similar or better outcomes at a fraction of the cost.