Best colleges for Natural Resources Conservation and Research in California
Program-level earnings — not school prestige — rank these. Among the California programs in the federal field-of-study file, University of Southern California leads: its Natural Resources Conservation and Research graduates earn a median $78,731 four years after finishing, against the field's $55,012 national median. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026.)
| # | College | Grad earnings, 4 yrs | Vs field median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California | $78,731 | +$23,719 |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley | $78,624 | +$23,612 |
| 3 | University of California-Los Angeles | $75,927 | +$20,915 |
| 4 | Santa Clara University | $72,889 | +$17,877 |
How big is the earnings gap between California Natural Resources Conservation programs?
$5,842 separates the top and bottom of this list — $78,731 at University of Southern California against $72,889 at Santa Clara University, four years after finishing. Same field, same state, same federal measure: where you study moves pay by that much.
Do California Natural Resources Conservation graduates earn more than the national median?
The state's strongest program pays $23,719 above the $55,012 national median for the field. Program-level medians come from federal tax records of graduates who received aid, so they track actual pay rather than advertised salaries.