by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 67 U.S. colleges awarded 1,199 degrees and certificates in Ecology. Bachelor’s degrees are the most popular award, at 69% of graduates. College Factual ranks 28 schools in its 2027 Best Ecology 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.
A degree in Ecology covers Ecology. A Program That Focuses On The Scientific Study Of The Relationships And Interactions Of Small-Scale Biological Systems, Such As Organisms, To Each Other, To Complex And Whole Systems, And To The Physical And Other Non-Biological Aspects Of Their Environments. Includes Instruction In Biogeochemistry; Landscape And/or Marine/aquatic Dynamics; Decomposition; Global And Regional Elemental Budgets; Biotic And Abiotic Regulation Of Nutrient Cycles; Ecophysiology; Ecosystem Resilience, Disturbance, And Succession; Community And Habitat Dynamics; Organismal Interactions (Co-Evolution, Competition, Predation); Paleoecology; And Evolutionary Ecology. Examples: [Ecosystem Science].
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, ecology is a popular field of study, with 1,199 degrees awarded annually. 67 colleges award ecology degrees, an average of 18 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 105.
By level, the 1,199 awards include 833 bachelor’s degrees, 179 master’s degrees and 187 doctorates.
Women earned 64% of ecology degrees and certificates in the latest year (764 of 1,199). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (845) and Hispanic or Latino (119), and international students earned 61.
College Factual ranks 28 schools in its 2027 Best Ecology Schools ranking, including 21 for bachelor’s degrees, 6 for master’s degrees and 6 for doctorates. It also ranks ecology schools within 14 states. In all, 67 colleges offer ecology programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Ecology Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common ecology credential is the bachelor’s degree: 833 of the 1,199 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to ecology 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 Oral Expression, Written Comprehension and Oral Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
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How long an ecology degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 833 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 179 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 187 |
Bachelor’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to ecology, at 34.6%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 34.6% |
| Doctoral degree | 21.4% |
| Master’s degree | 17.6% |
| Post-doctoral training | 16.1% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 2.9% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 2.6% |
| Some college courses | 1.9% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 1.6% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.1% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.3% |
Source: O*NET Online.
15 occupations are related to Ecology, with an average median salary of $85,972; the strongest outlook belongs to Conservation Scientists, at 13.4% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Professor, Instructor, Lecturer and University Faculty Member.
The occupation related to ecology with the most projected jobs is Clinical Research Coordinators, at 542,888.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical Research Coordinators | 542,888 | 10.4% |
| Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 497,622 | 4.3% |
| 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% |
Ecology 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 ecology 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 |
| Life Scientists, All Other | $97,541 |
| Bioinformatics Scientists | $92,484 |
| Conservation Scientists | $81,436 |
| Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $79,966 |
Ecology has 11 similar majors in the Biological & Biomedical Sciences field, which together award 8,498 degrees a year; the largest are Epidemiology (3,015), Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography (2,663) and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (935). 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 and Evolutionary Biology | 935 |
| 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 |
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