Natural Resources Conservation and Research at Lackawanna College

The numbers here tell two very different stories depending on your frame of reference. Lackawanna's Natural Resources Conservation certificate sits near the bottom nationally—just the 5th percentile for earnings—with graduates making about $6,400 less than the national median. But flip to Pennsylvania, and this program hits the 60th percentile, essentially matching the state median. With only three schools in Pennsylvania offering this certificate, you're looking at limited in-state options regardless.

The positive case rests entirely on debt. At $11,024, graduates carry roughly half the national average, creating a manageable 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio that most borrowers can navigate. For a certificate program serving a majority Pell-eligible population, keeping debt this low matters tremendously. Still, $31,301 represents entry-level wages in many fields, and there's legitimate concern about whether these earnings justify even a year of training.

The small sample size—fewer than 30 graduates—makes these figures unstable. A handful of different outcomes could swing the medians meaningfully. If your family is considering this route, verify current job placement specifics and whether graduates are entering conservation careers or pivoting elsewhere. The debt won't crush you, but these starting wages leave little room for financial surprises.