Natural Resources Conservation and Research at Utah State University

Utah State's Natural Resources Conservation program produces first-year earnings of $30,249—below the national median but right at Utah's state average. That state context matters: while this ranks in just the 29th percentile nationally, it hits the 60th percentile among Utah programs, suggesting the gap reflects regional pay scales more than program quality. For students planning to work in Utah after graduation, this program isn't underperforming local alternatives.

The debt picture looks more favorable than the earnings suggest. At $17,750, graduates carry about $5,000 less debt than the national median for this major, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.59—manageable territory for a conservation field that typically doesn't command high starting salaries. The caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so these figures could shift considerably year to year.

For families committed to conservation work in the Mountain West, this represents a practical path with reasonable debt. The low starting salary is concerning in absolute terms, but it's competitive within Utah and the debt load won't create an insurmountable burden. Just understand that $30,000 first-year earnings means tight budgeting early in your career, regardless of how the numbers compare to peers.