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Natural resource specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a natural resource specialist. Natural resource specialists usually study environmental science, biology, or ecology, population biology, and epidemiology. 70% of natural resource specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 874 real natural resource specialist resumes to see exactly what natural resource specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for natural resource specialists are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.
There are also many online natural resource specialist courses to help get the education required to be a natural resource specialist.
What education do you need to become a natural resource specialist?
What degree do you need to be a natural resource specialist?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a natural resource specialist?
- Biology, 15%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for natural resource specialists
| Natural resource specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas A&M University | 12.77% |
| Washington State University | 8.51% |
| Kent State University | 6.38% |
| Oregon State University | 6.38% |
| Texas State University | 5.67% |
Best majors for natural resource specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environmental Science | 28.4% |
| 2 | Biology | 15.1% |
| 3 | Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology | 7.9% |
| 4 | Natural Resources Management | 6.8% |
| 5 | Wildlife Management | 6.1% |
Best colleges for natural resource specialists
The best colleges for natural resource specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.
A natural resource specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for natural resource specialists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become natural resource specialists.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
8. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for natural resource specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for natural resource specialists
The most affordable schools for natural resource specialists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for natural resource specialists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for natural resource specialists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for natural resource specialists
The hardest universities for natural resource specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.
Some great schools for natural resource specialists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for natural resource specialists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for natural resource specialists
The easiest schools for natural resource specialists to get into are Barry University, d'youville college, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a natural resource specialist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for natural resource specialists.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Ursuline College
Pepper Pike, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,102
9. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average natural resource specialist salary by education level
| Natural resource specialist education level | Natural resource specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $78,320 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $69,643 |
Natural resource specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025