by our College Data Analytics TeamEvolutionary Biology was the 501st most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 697 degrees in this year alone. This is approximately the same as the 699 graduates the prior year.
Our 2023 Best Evolutionary Biology Schools ranking analyzes 26 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for evolutionary biology students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of evolutionary biology programs later in this article.
Evolutionary Biology majors are found most commonly in careers in which understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents is important. Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience and talking to others to convey information effectively are all required skills for careers related to this major.
evolutionary biology degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. Specific evolutionary biology careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
There are various different levels of evolutionary biology degrees. Evolutionary Biology programs offered by schools range from a to a , which is the highest evolutionary biology degree you can get. Different evolutionary biology degrees vary in how long they take.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to evolutionary biology, with approximately 32.1% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for evolutionary biology workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 30.8% |
| Doctoral Degree | 24.8% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 21.2% |
| Master’s Degree | 13.3% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 3.0% |
58.4% of evolutionary biology workers have at least a master's. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in evolutionary biology have received.
This of course varies depending on which evolutionary biology career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your evolutionary biology degree? Evolutionary Biology careers are expected to grow 11.5% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to evolutionary biology.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Science Professors | 71,700 | 15.1% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 62,300 | 9.9% |
| Biological Scientists | 41,800 | 8.0% |
As you might expect, salaries for evolutionary biology graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for evolutionary biology graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers evolutionary biology grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Natural Sciences Managers | $139,680 |
| Biological Science Professors | $97,340 |
| Biological Scientists | $83,600 |
With over 77 different evolutionary biology degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased evolutionary biology school rankings to help you with this.
Evolutionary Biology is one of 11 different types of Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Epidemiology | 2,305 |
| Marine Biology | 1,835 |
| Ecology | 1,060 |
| Environmental Biology | 466 |
| Conservation Biology | 309 |
Image Credit: By Ernst Haeckel under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
