by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 43 U.S. colleges awarded 935 degrees and certificates in Evolutionary Biology. Bachelor’s degrees are the most popular award, at 79% of graduates. College Factual ranks 21 schools in its 2027 Best Evolutionary Biology Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $44,645 one year after completing, rising to $66,409 after four years.
Studying Evolutionary Biology covers Ecology And Evolutionary Biology. A Program That Focuses On The Scientific Study Of The Relationships And Interactions Across Levels Of Biological Organization--Genes And Genomes, Organisms, Species, And Ecosystems--And How These Change Over Time, Including The Origins And History Of Species, The Processes By Which Biodiversity Has Evolved, And The Ecological Context In Which This Evolution Takes Place. Includes Instruction In Animal, Plant, Population, Functional, Evolutionary, And Ecosystem Ecology; Ecological And Evolutionary Genetics; Molecular Evolution; Population And Conservation Biology; Animal And Plant Diversity; Biometry; And Scientific And Research Ethics.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Nationwide, evolutionary biology draws strong interest, with 935 degrees awarded annually. 43 colleges award evolutionary biology degrees, an average of 22 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 209.
By level, the 935 awards include 739 bachelor’s degrees, 76 master’s degrees and 120 doctorates.
Women earned 63% of evolutionary biology degrees and certificates in the latest year (593 of 935). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (590) and Hispanic or Latino (132), and international students earned 47.
College Factual ranks 21 schools in its 2027 Best Evolutionary Biology Schools ranking, including 18 for bachelor’s degrees, 7 for master’s degrees and 4 for doctorates. It also ranks evolutionary biology schools within 12 states. In all, 43 colleges offer evolutionary biology programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Evolutionary Biology Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common evolutionary biology credential is the bachelor’s degree: 739 of the 935 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to evolutionary biology call most for Reading Comprehension, Active Listening and Speaking, and for knowledge of English Language, Biology and Mathematics, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Written Comprehension, Oral Expression and Oral Comprehension.
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How long an evolutionary biology degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 739 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 76 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 120 |
Bachelor’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to evolutionary biology, at 36.4%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 36.4% |
| Doctoral degree | 17.5% |
| Post-doctoral training | 17.4% |
| Master’s degree | 16.4% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 3.4% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 3.1% |
| Some college courses | 2.2% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 1.8% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.3% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.4% |
Source: O*NET Online.
13 occupations are related to Evolutionary Biology, with an average median salary of $87,692; the strongest outlook belongs to Conservation Scientists, at 13.4% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Clinical Trials Manager, Clinical Project Manager, Research Coordinator and Faculty Member.
The occupation related to evolutionary biology with the most projected jobs is Clinical Research Coordinators, at 542,888.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical Research Coordinators | 542,888 | 10.4% |
| Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 287,657 | 10.6% |
| Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 276,211 | 6.3% |
| Conservation Scientists | 208,826 | 13.4% |
| Geneticists | 183,832 | -1.1% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 179,495 | 8.7% |
| Range Managers | 175,572 | 1.3% |
| Molecular and Cellular Biologists | 164,357 | 8.7% |
Evolutionary Biology graduates earn a median $44,645 one year after completing their program, $66,409 after four years and $64,232 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $44,645 |
| 4 years | $66,409 |
| 5 years | $64,232 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to evolutionary biology is Water Resource Specialists, with a median salary of $179,716.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Water Resource Specialists | $179,716 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $132,227 |
| Clinical Research Coordinators | $110,931 |
| Molecular and Cellular Biologists | $100,077 |
| Bioinformatics Scientists | $92,484 |
| Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $83,485 |
| Conservation Scientists | $81,436 |
| Biological Scientists, All Other | $79,550 |
Evolutionary Biology has 11 similar majors in the Biological & Biomedical Sciences field, which together award 8,762 degrees a year; the largest are Epidemiology (3,015), Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography (2,663) and Ecology (1,199). Browse all Biological & Biomedical Sciences majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Epidemiology | 3,015 |
| Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography | 2,663 |
| Ecology | 1,199 |
| Environmental Biology | 490 |
| Conservation Biology | 431 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other | 346 |
| Epidemiology and Biostatistics | 248 |
| Evolutionary Biology | 207 |
| Aquatic Biology/Limnology | 129 |
| Systematic Biology/Biological Systematics | 24 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
