Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 32 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$168,857 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
29.6 yrsModeled economic break-even
−66%Modeled 10-year ROI
$53,620Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$53,620Median reported earnings · year 4
$55,726Average reported earnings · year 5
$25,138Median federal debt
32thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
32Reporting programs
29With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $63,891
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $42,420
- Federal debt
- $12,000
- Reporting programs
- 3
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $53,620
- Federal debt
- $25,138
- Reporting programs
- 32
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $68,968
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 16
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $64,887
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$51,226National median$53,62075th percentile$65,604
29 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1California State University, Bakersfield$82,3152West Virginia University$75,0223University of Rhode Island$72,3114University of New Hampshire-Main Campus$71,2795California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$68,9656Michigan State University$68,9137California State University, Channel Islands$67,5588SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry$65,6049Everglades University$61,85010Marist University$58,610Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1043 · 4 crosswalk linksConservation ScientistsSOC 19-1031 · 3 crosswalk linksCompliance OfficersSOC 13-1041 · 2 crosswalk linksCriminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1111 · 1 crosswalk linksDetectives and Criminal InvestigatorsSOC 33-3021 · 1 crosswalk linksEconomics Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1063 · 1 crosswalk linksEconomistsSOC 19-3011 · 1 crosswalk linksEntertainment and Recreation Managers, Except GamblingSOC 11-9072 · 1 crosswalk linksFirefightersSOC 33-2011 · 1 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention WorkersSOC 33-1021 · 1 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Police and DetectivesSOC 33-1012 · 1 crosswalk linksFish and Game WardensSOC 33-3031 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University, BakersfieldBachelor's Degree | Bakersfield, CA | $82,315 | Not available | +84% | Positive payoff |
| 2 | West Virginia UniversityBachelor's Degree | Morgantown, WV | $75,022 | $25,000 | +24% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | University of Rhode IslandBachelor's Degree | Kingston, RI | $72,311 | $25,000 | +3% | Positive payoff |
| 4 | University of New Hampshire-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Durham, NH | $71,279 | $27,000 | -5% | Negative payoff |
| 5 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoBachelor's Degree | San Luis Obispo, CA | $68,965 | $20,000 | -3% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | Michigan State UniversityBachelor's Degree | East Lansing, MI | $68,913 | $21,755 | -8% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | California State University, Channel IslandsBachelor's Degree | Camarillo, CA | $67,558 | $19,209 | +3% | Positive payoff |
| 8 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestryBachelor's Degree | Syracuse, NY | $65,604 | Not available | -19% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Everglades UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boca Raton, FL | $61,850 | $47,000 | -42% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Marist UniversityBachelor's Degree | Poughkeepsie, NY | $58,610 | Not available | -61% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Texas A&M University-College StationBachelor's Degree | College Station, TX | $54,665 | $21,815 | -64% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | Unity Environmental UniversityBachelor's Degree | New Gloucester, ME | $53,934 | $27,000 | -65% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and ScienceBachelor's Degree | Paul Smiths, NY | $53,788 | $27,000 | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointBachelor's Degree | Stevens Point, WI | $53,642 | $22,132 | -64% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | Bowling Green State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Bowling Green, OH | $53,620 | $25,998 | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | University of Hawaii at ManoaBachelor's Degree | Honolulu, HI | $52,941 | $19,835 | -67% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Oregon State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Corvallis, OR | $52,730 | $34,429 | -70% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | Oregon State University-Cascades CampusBachelor's Degree | Bend, OR | $52,730 | $34,429 | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | North Dakota State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Fargo, ND | $52,570 | $27,000 | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | Ohio State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Columbus, OH | $52,528 | $27,000 | -70% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickBachelor's Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | $52,242 | $25,275 | -74% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Tarleton State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Stephenville, TX | $51,226 | $21,500 | -76% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBachelor's Degree | Baton Rouge, LA | $50,173 | $23,008 | -80% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | Western Carolina UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cullowhee, NC | $49,834 | $21,962 | -79% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | Florida Gulf Coast UniversityBachelor's Degree | Fort Myers, FL | $48,942 | $21,730 | -83% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | St Petersburg CollegeBachelor's Degree | St. Petersburg, FL | $48,190 | $34,017 | -83% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Glenville State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Glenville, WV | $46,610 | $23,250 | -93% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | The University of Tennessee-MartinBachelor's Degree | Martin, TN | $46,540 | $22,748 | -93% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Auburn UniversityBachelor's Degree | Auburn, AL | $40,076 | Not available | -118% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | University of IdahoBachelor's Degree | Moscow, ID | Not available | $26,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $14,831 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | University Park, PA | Not available | $28,252 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $32,875 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania State University-World CampusBachelor's Degree | University Park, PA | Not available | $28,252 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $19,550 |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.