Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 38 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$242,670 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.
707.3 yrsModeled economic break-even
−99%Modeled 10-year ROI
$45,348Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$45,348Median reported earnings · year 4
$45,069Average reported earnings · year 5
$24,937Median federal debt
11thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
38Reporting programs
37With 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
- $44,821
- Federal debt
- $19,839
- Reporting programs
- 2
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $37,069
- Federal debt
- $12,500
- Reporting programs
- 5
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $45,348
- Federal debt
- $24,937
- Reporting programs
- 38
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$43,171National median$45,34875th percentile$47,370
37 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Valley City State University$69,7992Stephen F Austin State University$56,4373Auburn University$54,4494South Dakota State University$50,6235Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science$50,1716Michigan State University$49,9487Bemidji State University$49,0408The University of Tennessee-Knoxville$48,8829Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$47,49610University of New Hampshire-Main Campus$47,370Observed 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.
Conservation ScientistsSOC 19-1031 · 1 crosswalk linksForestry and Conservation Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1043 · 1 crosswalk linksZoologists and Wildlife BiologistsSOC 19-1023 · 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 | Valley City State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Valley City, ND | $69,799 | $25,500 | +9% | Positive payoff |
| 2 | Stephen F Austin State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nacogdoches, TX | $56,437 | $31,000 | -52% | Negative payoff |
| 3 | Auburn UniversityBachelor's Degree | Auburn, AL | $54,449 | $25,740 | -66% | Negative payoff |
| 4 | South Dakota State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Brookings, SD | $50,623 | $24,798 | -78% | Negative payoff |
| 5 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and ScienceBachelor's Degree | Paul Smiths, NY | $50,171 | $24,874 | -82% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | Michigan State UniversityBachelor's Degree | East Lansing, MI | $49,948 | $28,425 | -81% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Bemidji State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bemidji, MN | $49,040 | $22,301 | -83% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleBachelor's Degree | Knoxville, TN | $48,882 | $27,000 | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Blacksburg, VA | $47,496 | $21,500 | -91% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | University of New Hampshire-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Durham, NH | $47,370 | $27,000 | -91% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Northwest Missouri State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Maryville, MO | $47,356 | Not available | -90% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | California State Polytechnic University-HumboldtBachelor's Degree | Arcata, CA | $47,003 | $22,500 | -91% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | Missouri Western State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Saint Joseph, MO | $46,342 | Not available | -94% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | University of California, DavisBachelor's Degree | Davis, CA | $46,209 | $15,499 | -95% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | University of Nevada-RenoBachelor's Degree | Reno, NV | $46,171 | $21,150 | -95% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | University of Rhode IslandBachelor's Degree | Kingston, RI | $45,571 | $25,000 | -98% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | University of MaineBachelor's Degree | Orono, ME | $45,502 | $26,893 | -98% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | Mississippi State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Mississippi State, MS | $45,445 | $25,750 | -98% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Tennessee Technological UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cookeville, TN | $45,348 | $13,673 | -99% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | West Virginia UniversityBachelor's Degree | Morgantown, WV | $45,348 | $24,500 | -99% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonBachelor's Degree | Madison, WI | $45,212 | Not available | -99% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Utah State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Logan, UT | $45,120 | $21,000 | -99% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Arkansas Tech UniversityBachelor's Degree | Russellville, AR | $44,868 | $20,500 | -101% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | University of GeorgiaBachelor's Degree | Athens, GA | $44,818 | $25,154 | -101% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | New Mexico State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Las Cruces, NM | $44,272 | $16,449 | -103% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Murray State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Murray, KY | $43,844 | $21,500 | -105% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | The University of MontanaBachelor's Degree | Missoula, MT | $43,286 | $25,000 | -107% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | University of IdahoBachelor's Degree | Moscow, ID | $43,171 | $26,500 | -108% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Missouri State University-SpringfieldBachelor's Degree | Springfield, MO | $42,618 | $23,937 | -110% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | University of DelawareBachelor's Degree | Newark, DE | $42,567 | $25,572 | -110% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointBachelor's Degree | Stevens Point, WI | $42,330 | $25,556 | -111% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | Otterbein UniversityBachelor's Degree | Westerville, OH | $41,121 | $25,850 | -115% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | University of FloridaBachelor's Degree | Gainesville, FL | $40,434 | $20,872 | -122% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | Eastern Kentucky UniversityBachelor's Degree | Richmond, KY | $40,149 | $19,224 | -122% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | Unity Environmental UniversityBachelor's Degree | New Gloucester, ME | $39,017 | $27,000 | -123% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | Delaware Valley UniversityBachelor's Degree | Doylestown, PA | $38,899 | $26,420 | -121% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | Michigan Technological UniversityBachelor's Degree | Houghton, MI | $38,775 | Not available | -126% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | East Texas A&M UniversityBachelor's Degree | Commerce, TX | Not available | $19,866 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $11,841 |
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.