by our College Data Analytics TeamEcology was the 416th most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 1,060 degrees in this year alone. This 70 less than the prior year, a decrease of 6.6%.
This year's Best Ecology Schools ranking compares 54 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom ecology rankings further below.
When studying Ecology, you’ll learn that understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs. Required skills include communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience and giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most ecology degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. In addition to these basic ecology program qualifications, to serve in some ecology careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
There are various different levels of ecology degrees. You can get anything from a in ecology to the highest ecology degree, a . Depending on the ecology degree you choose, obtaining your diploma can take anwhere from 1 to 4+ years.
| 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 ecology, with approximately 37.7% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for ecology workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 37.3% |
| Master’s Degree | 22.7% |
| Doctoral Degree | 18.2% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 13.1% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 2.6% |
54.5% of ecology workers have at least a master's. The chart below shows what degree level those who work in ecology have obtained.
This of course varies depending on which ecology career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your ecology degree? Ecology careers are expected to grow 11.0% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to ecology.
| 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% |
| Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists | 20,900 | 7.7% |
| Life Scientists | 9,700 | 9.0% |
As you might expect, salaries for ecology graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for ecology graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers ecology grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Natural Sciences Managers | $139,680 |
| Biological Science Professors | $97,340 |
| Life Scientists | $89,150 |
| Biological Scientists | $83,600 |
| Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists | $67,760 |
With over 137 different ecology 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 ecology school rankings to help you with this.
One of 11 majors within the Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology area of study, Ecology has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Epidemiology | 2,305 |
| Marine Biology | 1,835 |
| Evolutionary Biology | 697 |
| Environmental Biology | 466 |
| Conservation Biology | 309 |
Image Credit: By Ernst Haeckel under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
