Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management at Oregon State University-Cascades Campus

Oregon State's fisheries program at its Cascades campus demonstrates an unusual strength: graduates start modestly at $33,314 but see their earnings jump 31% within four years to $43,598. That's a faster trajectory than you'll find in most natural resource fields, where early-career salaries often stagnate. The program ranks at the 60th percentile among Oregon fisheries programs (though only two schools offer it statewide), matching the earnings at the main Corvallis campus while providing a smaller college environment in Bend.

The debt picture requires careful consideration. At $33,518, graduates borrow about $7,500 more than the national median for this field, though this still ranks in the lowest 5% nationally for debt levels overall. The key question is whether a 1:1 debt-to-earnings ratio makes sense when starting salaries hover around $33,000. This isn't medical school debt on a doctor's salary—graduates will need to budget carefully in those first years, particularly in a city like Bend where housing costs have climbed steadily.

For families comfortable with the financial realities of conservation careers, the growth trajectory matters more than the starting point. Reaching $44,000 by year four puts graduates on stronger footing than many natural resource programs offer, and the robust sample size (100+ graduates) means these numbers reflect real outcomes, not statistical noise.