Natural Resources Conservation and Research at Knox College

Knox College's natural resources conservation program starts graduates at just $28,757—significantly below both the national median ($33,988) and state median ($30,644). While that puts this program in the bottom half of Illinois offerings, the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these figures might not tell the complete story. The debt load of $26,000 is slightly above state averages, creating a tight first-year budget with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.90.

The trajectory improves considerably: earnings jump 42% to nearly $41,000 by year four, which actually exceeds what many Illinois programs achieve. This suggests Knox graduates who stick with conservation work see meaningful career progression. Compare this to Northern Illinois ($36,409) or U of I Urbana-Champaign ($31,369)—Knox graduates eventually surpass some of these larger programs, though they start behind.

The central question is whether that rough first year or two is manageable. If your student has family financial support or plans to live frugally while establishing their career, the long-term outlook becomes more appealing. But if they'll need to make full loan payments immediately, that sub-$29,000 starting salary will be challenging. The small sample size also matters—one or two graduates in different career paths could swing these numbers substantially in either direction.