Natural Resources Management and Policy at Oregon State University

Oregon State's natural resources management program hits an uncomfortable plateau early, with earnings barely budging from $39,422 to $40,257 over four years. That minimal growth matters because graduates start with $34,429 in debt—well above the national median of $25,000 for this field. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.87 isn't catastrophic, but it means nearly a full year's salary goes toward loans, and there's no clear path to growing your way out of that burden quickly.

The program does perform slightly better than the national median for earnings, landing at the 60th percentile. However, with only two Oregon schools offering this major, that state ranking is less meaningful than it appears. The real concern is what happens after that initial salary: environmental careers often require advanced degrees or years of experience to reach higher pay grades, and this program shows little momentum in that direction during the critical early years.

For families considering this path, understand you're looking at a conservation-focused career with modest starting pay and slow initial advancement. If your child is passionate about natural resource policy and comfortable with a longer timeline to financial stability, the debt load is manageable. But if they're exploring this as one of several options, the combination of above-average debt and flat earnings growth makes this a program where passion needs to outweigh pure financial return.