Bachelor's · Gunnison, Colorado
Is Natural Resources Conservation and Research at Western Colorado University worth it?
Low confidence Low confidence: fewer than 40 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 12.2 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $37,435
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $52,815
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $12,000
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $71k (likely $71k – $96k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $9k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CO
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 12.2 years (likely 6.9–20+)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$213k (likely −$307k – −$113k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$85k (likely −$275k – $132k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 48%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Change income, residency or loans Compare Natural Resources Conservation and Research at other schools
Other majors at Western Colorado University
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$74,959
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$72,533
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's)$67,308
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$63,922
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's)$61,876
- Education, General (Master's)$57,638
- Sociology (Bachelor's)$57,359
- Biology, General (Bachelor's)$50,954
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies (Bachelor's)$48,109
- Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's)$47,828
- Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's)$47,426
- Psychology, General (Bachelor's)$47,401
Natural Resources Conservation and Research at other schools in Colorado
- University of Colorado Boulder$63,337
- Metropolitan State University of Denver$63,175
- Colorado Mesa University$50,384
- Colorado State University-Fort Collins$50,330
- Fort Lewis College$46,492
- University of Denver$39,461
- Colorado College$37,393
- Colorado State University Pueblo$32,612