Natural Resources Conservation and Research at University of South Florida

USF's Natural Resources Conservation program outperforms most competitors in Florida while keeping debt manageable. Starting at $36,048, graduates earn roughly $4,000 more than the state median and nearly top the state rankings—only the University of West Florida edges it out by about $1,200. At 60th percentile both nationally and statewide, this places solidly in the upper half of similar programs, and earnings climb a respectable 19% to $42,843 by year four.

The debt picture looks reasonable at first glance—$18,840 is notably below both state and national medians. However, that 79th percentile debt ranking signals that many comparable programs manage even lower debt loads, and the 0.52 debt-to-earnings ratio means your child would owe roughly half their first year's salary. For a field that doesn't command premium starting salaries, this requires careful budgeting in those early career years.

The practical reality: this program delivers competitive Florida outcomes in a field where earnings growth happens gradually rather than explosively. If your child is passionate about conservation work and committed to Florida, USF offers a cost-effective path with above-average job prospects for the sector. Just ensure they understand they're choosing meaningful work over financial optimization—$42,000 at year four won't support an expensive lifestyle, but the debt load is light enough to be manageable with disciplined planning.