2026 Best Ecology Schools in the Far Western Region
Ecology programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for ecology students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Ecology in the Far Western Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall ecology education in the Far Western Region.
Top Schools in Ecology
University Of California Riverside is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in ecology. Located in the city of Riverside, University Of California Riverside is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 76%. About 15 ecology degrees were awarded at University Of California Riverside in the most recent year. Students who receive their ecology degree from University Of California Riverside earn around $40,040 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $19,187.
More information about a degree in ecology from University Of California Riverside
Students looking for a strong ecology program will find one at University Of California Los Angeles, which ranked #2. This very large public university is located in the city of Los Angeles. The six-year graduation rate is 93%. About 34 ecology degrees were awarded at University Of California Los Angeles in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, ecology degree recipients from University Of California Los Angeles generally make around $18,728. Students borrow a median of $17,417 to complete this degree.
Read more about the ecology program at University Of California Los Angeles
A rank of #3 makes University Of California Santa Cruz one of the top schools for ecology. Located in the city of Santa Cruz, University Of California Santa Cruz is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 75%. University Of California Santa Cruz awarded about 71 ecology degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their ecology degree from University Of California Santa Cruz earn around $25,810 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $18,887 to complete this degree.
See the full ecology program report for University Of California Santa Cruz
Students looking for a strong ecology program will find one at University Of California Davis, which ranked #4. University Of California Davis is a very large public school located in the suburb of Davis. The six-year graduation rate is 86%. There were roughly 24 ecology students who graduated with this degree at University Of California Davis in the most recent data year. Students who receive their ecology degree from University Of California Davis earn around $32,161 in the first couple years of their career. University Of California Davis graduates carry a median of $19,951 in student loans.
More information about a degree in ecology from University Of California Davis
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 8 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
