Bachelor's · Asheville, North Carolina

Is Natural Resources Conservation and Research at University of North Carolina Asheville worth it?

Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 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 8 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $35,916; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $49,966; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $19,500; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families: $64k (likely $64k – $80k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $13k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in NC; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 8 years (likely 6.0–11.7); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: −$114k (likely −$184k – −$57k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: $66k (likely −$69k – $207k); Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide): 52%; Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in: not reported / ≤ 20%; NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20

Change income, residency or loans Compare Natural Resources Conservation and Research at other schools

🌱 Getting ready in high school

Students heading toward animals, plants & the planet majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.

AP classes

AP Biology
AP Environmental Science
AP Chemistry
AP Statistics

IB Higher Level

Biology HL
Environmental Systems and Societies

Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.

Other majors at University of North Carolina Asheville

Engineering, General (Bachelor's)$88,346
Computer Science (Bachelor's)$88,084
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$69,472
Economics (Bachelor's)$66,736
Chemistry (Bachelor's)$60,021
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's)$56,479
Mathematics (Bachelor's)$56,247
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's)$55,698
Biology, General (Bachelor's)$47,302
Sociology (Bachelor's)$44,824
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's)$42,743
Public Health (Bachelor's)$42,267

Natural Resources Conservation and Research at other schools in North Carolina

Duke University$73,435
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill$65,337
University of North Carolina at Pembroke$49,806
Elon University$47,069
North Carolina State University at Raleigh$46,772
University of North Carolina Wilmington$46,527
Appalachian State University$46,207
Warren Wilson College$43,793
Catawba College$42,505
Western Carolina University$40,831