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2023 Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s

239 Ranked Colleges
3,965 Degrees Awarded
$27,133 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 7,247 people earned their degree in ecology, evolution and systematics biology, making the major the 103rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, ecology, evolution and systematics biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,579 and had an average of $23,052 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,965 ecology, evolution and systematics biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 239 colleges that offer a degree in ecology, evolution and systematics biology. To top this list, a school must have a successful ecology, evolution and systematics biology program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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The ecology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree ecology students.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Colorado Boulder. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s list. CU - Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 227 bachelors’s ecology degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at CU - Boulder

2

Out of the 239 schools in the Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #2 spot on the list. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 143 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at University of California - Santa Cruz

3

Out of the 239 schools in the Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #3 spot on the list. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 121 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at BYU

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 116 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at UCSD

5
Coastal Carolina University crest
Coastal Carolina University
Conway, South Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Coastal Carolina University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s. Coastal Carolina University is located in Conway, South Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 114 bachelors’s ecology degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Coastal Carolina University

6

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 107 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Texas A&M College Station

7

Colorado State University - Fort Collins came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Colorado State is a large public school situated in Fort Collins, Colorado. It awarded 102 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Colorado State Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report

8

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry is a public institution located in Syracuse, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at ESF

9

Iowa State University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Iowa State University

9

University of North Carolina at Wilmington came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Wilmington, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 86 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecology students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at University of North Carolina at Wilmington

11

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #11. University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus is a public institution located in Denver, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CU Anschutz Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report

12

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 84 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report

13

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school awarded 78 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecology students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report

14
Eckerd crest
Eckerd College
Saint Petersburg, Florida

With a ranking of #14, Eckerd College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Saint Petersburg, Florida is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ecology degrees to 76 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Eckerd College Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report

15
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

With a ranking of #15, Stony Brook University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Stony Brook University is a large school located in Stony Brook, New York that handed out 70 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full SUNY Stony Brook Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report

15

With a ranking of #15, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 70 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecology students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report

17

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 67 bachelors’s ecology degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at UW Seattle

18

University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #18. UofSC is located in Columbia, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 bachelors’s ecology degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at UofSC

19
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 bachelors’s ecology degrees to qualified students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Harvard University Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report

20
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s list. NYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 55 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at NYU

21
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at University of Georgia

21

The University of Tampa ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at UT

23

With a ranking of #23, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of North Texas is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at University of North Texas

24
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut

University of Connecticut did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. University of Connecticut is a large public school situated in Storrs, Connecticut. It awarded 50 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at University of Connecticut

25
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Michigan State University

Rest of the Best 36 in Most Well Attended Ecology Major for a Bachelor’s

Not only did these schools make the top 36 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
28
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey
30
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
30
32
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
33
33
RWU crest
Roger Williams University
Bristol, Rhode Island
35
35
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

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Notes and References

References

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