Natural Resources Conservation and Research: is this master's degree worth it?
National picture across 58 reporting college programs.
Personal baseline needed
$72,805 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$72,805Median year-4 earnings
$19,388Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Observed national outcomes
$72,805Median reported earnings · year 4
$71,898Average reported earnings · year 5
Not availableMedian federal debt
43thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
58Reporting programs
58With 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
- $49,254
- Federal debt
- $19,861
- Reporting programs
- 7
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $44,513
- Federal debt
- $12,000
- Reporting programs
- 6
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $55,044
- Federal debt
- $23,032
- Reporting programs
- 287
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $72,805
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 58
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $100,702
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $86,011
- 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$62,984National median$72,80575th percentile$81,015
58 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1American University$104,8782University of San Francisco$102,2743Yale University$100,3474Columbia University in the City of New York$98,4585Duke University$96,4116University of Houston-Clear Lake$94,0927University of Idaho$92,3968California State University, Fullerton$91,6979Webster University$89,70110University of California, Santa Barbara$88,781Observed 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.
Compliance OfficersSOC 13-1041 · 2 crosswalk linksEnvironmental Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1053 · 2 crosswalk linksEnvironmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthSOC 19-2041 · 2 crosswalk linksForest and Conservation TechniciansSOC 19-4071 · 2 crosswalk linksConservation ScientistsSOC 19-1031 · 1 crosswalk linksEnvironmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including HealthSOC 19-4042 · 1 crosswalk linksForestersSOC 19-1032 · 1 crosswalk linksForestry and Conservation Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1043 · 1 crosswalk linksNO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | ROI status | Cost context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American UniversityMaster's Degree | Washington, DC | $104,878 | Not available | Baseline needed | $41,943 |
| 2 | University of San FranciscoMaster's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $102,274 | Not available | Baseline needed | $41,431 |
| 3 | Yale UniversityMaster's Degree | New Haven, CT | $100,347 | Not available | Baseline needed | $23,777 |
| 4 | Columbia University in the City of New YorkMaster's Degree | New York, NY | $98,458 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,590 |
| 5 | Duke UniversityMaster's Degree | Durham, NC | $96,411 | Not available | Baseline needed | $29,612 |
| 6 | University of Houston-Clear LakeMaster's Degree | Houston, TX | $94,092 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,563 |
| 7 | University of IdahoMaster's Degree | Moscow, ID | $92,396 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,831 |
| 8 | California State University, FullertonMaster's Degree | Fullerton, CA | $91,697 | Not available | Baseline needed | $6,555 |
| 9 | Webster UniversityMaster's Degree | Saint Louis, MO | $89,701 | Not available | Baseline needed | $27,047 |
| 10 | University of California, Santa BarbaraMaster's Degree | Santa Barbara, CA | $88,781 | Not available | Baseline needed | $16,109 |
| 11 | University of Michigan-Ann ArborMaster's Degree | Ann Arbor, MI | $87,988 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,138 |
| 12 | Harvard UniversityMaster's Degree | Cambridge, MA | $84,831 | Not available | Baseline needed | $19,066 |
| 13 | University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMaster's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $83,567 | Not available | Baseline needed | $16,778 |
| 14 | University of PennsylvaniaMaster's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $83,058 | Not available | Baseline needed | $28,699 |
| 15 | University of Colorado BoulderMaster's Degree | Boulder, CO | $81,568 | Not available | Baseline needed | $25,346 |
| 16 | The University of Texas at ArlingtonMaster's Degree | Arlington, TX | $81,015 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,951 |
| 17 | College of CharlestonMaster's Degree | Charleston, SC | $79,857 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,960 |
| 18 | Washington State UniversityMaster's Degree | Pullman, WA | $77,903 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,971 |
| 19 | California State Polytechnic University-HumboldtMaster's Degree | Arcata, CA | $77,785 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,171 |
| 20 | American Public University SystemMaster's Degree | Charles Town, WV | $77,714 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,597 |
| 21 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusMaster's Degree | Denver, CO | $77,438 | Not available | Baseline needed | $11,900 |
| 22 | University of WyomingMaster's Degree | Laramie, WY | $77,033 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,599 |
| 23 | Clark UniversityMaster's Degree | Worcester, MA | $75,449 | Not available | Baseline needed | $28,714 |
| 24 | Indiana University-BloomingtonMaster's Degree | Bloomington, IN | $75,331 | Not available | Baseline needed | $16,264 |
| 25 | University of Massachusetts-AmherstMaster's Degree | Amherst, MA | $74,899 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,383 |
| 26 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionMaster's Degree | Tempe, AZ | $74,674 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,967 |
| 27 | Arizona State University Digital ImmersionMaster's Degree | Scottsdale, AZ | $74,674 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 28 | Virginia Commonwealth UniversityMaster's Degree | Richmond, VA | $73,253 | Not available | Baseline needed | $23,433 |
| 29 | Middlebury Institute of International Studies at MontereyMaster's Degree | Monterey, CA | $72,805 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 30 | Middlebury CollegeMaster's Degree | Middlebury, VT | $72,805 | Not available | Baseline needed | $31,483 |
| 31 | University of New HavenMaster's Degree | West Haven, CT | $72,783 | Not available | Baseline needed | $34,192 |
| 32 | Purdue University GlobalMaster's Degree | West Lafayette, IN | $70,234 | Not available | Baseline needed | $7,770 |
| 33 | University of ArizonaMaster's Degree | Tucson, AZ | $70,131 | Not available | Baseline needed | $16,674 |
| 34 | North Carolina State University at RaleighMaster's Degree | Raleigh, NC | $70,041 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,303 |
| 35 | Colorado State University-Fort CollinsMaster's Degree | Fort Collins, CO | $69,954 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,279 |
| 36 | Texas A&M University-College StationMaster's Degree | College Station, TX | $69,636 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,315 |
| 37 | Western Colorado UniversityMaster's Degree | Gunnison, CO | $67,308 | Not available | Baseline needed | $16,425 |
| 38 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonMaster's Degree | Madison, WI | $67,161 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,354 |
| 39 | University of New Hampshire-Main CampusMaster's Degree | Durham, NH | $66,537 | Not available | Baseline needed | $23,805 |
| 40 | University of Missouri-ColumbiaMaster's Degree | Columbia, MO | $66,434 | Not available | Baseline needed | $20,268 |
| 41 | Florida Gulf Coast UniversityMaster's Degree | Fort Myers, FL | $66,340 | Not available | Baseline needed | $12,568 |
| 42 | Ohio State University-Main CampusMaster's Degree | Columbus, OH | $63,595 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,339 |
| 43 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignMaster's Degree | Champaign, IL | $63,098 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,355 |
| 44 | Central Washington UniversityMaster's Degree | Ellensburg, WA | $62,984 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,476 |
| 45 | The University of Texas at San AntonioMaster's Degree | San Antonio, TX | $61,139 | Not available | Baseline needed | $10,836 |
| 46 | University of South FloridaMaster's Degree | Tampa, FL | $60,986 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,812 |
| 47 | Duquesne UniversityMaster's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $60,629 | Not available | Baseline needed | $37,730 |
| 48 | Slippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaMaster's Degree | Slippery Rock, PA | $60,161 | Not available | Baseline needed | $19,608 |
| 49 | University of Illinois SpringfieldMaster's Degree | Springfield, IL | $59,629 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,833 |
| 50 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointMaster's Degree | Stevens Point, WI | $58,863 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,559 |
| 51 | Miami University-OxfordMaster's Degree | Oxford, OH | $58,386 | Not available | Baseline needed | $28,384 |
| 52 | University of Hawaii at HiloMaster's Degree | Hilo, HI | $57,469 | Not available | Baseline needed | $11,856 |
| 53 | University of Wisconsin-Green BayMaster's Degree | Green Bay, WI | $55,232 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,369 |
| 54 | University of North Carolina WilmingtonMaster's Degree | Wilmington, NC | $53,362 | Not available | Baseline needed | $20,109 |
| 55 | Texas A&M University-Corpus ChristiMaster's Degree | Corpus Christi, TX | $52,844 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,225 |
| 56 | Antioch University-New EnglandMaster's Degree | Keene, NH | $52,571 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 57 | Antioch UniversityMaster's Degree | Yellow Springs, OH | $52,571 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 58 | Ohio University-Main CampusMaster's Degree | Athens, OH | $51,822 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,637 |
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.