2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology
13
Ranked Colleges
731
Degrees Awarded
$35,100
Avg Cost*
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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.
Across California, there were 731 ecology, evolution and systematics biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,808 and $18,961 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology” ranking analyzed 13 colleges that offered a degree in ecology, evolution and systematics biology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality ecology, evolution and systematics biology programs as well as strong veteran support.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the ecology, evolution and systematics biology program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology”.
Top 13 Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Colleges for Veterans in California
Out of the 13 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the #1 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ecology degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 46,287 students enrolled at USC, 1,311 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 862 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,487. To help with additional expenses, 388 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full University of Southern California Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 157 ’s ecology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 39,576 students enrolled at UCSD, 112 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 54 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,596. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UCSD]](/colleges/university-of-california-san-diego/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 59 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 44,589 students enrolled at University of California - Los Angeles, 7 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,071. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 96%.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology list. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s ecology degrees to qualified students.
UC Irvine also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 8 of the 36,303 students enrolled at University of California - Irvine were GI Bill® students, of which 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,620. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UC Irvine]](/colleges/university-of-california-irvine/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego State University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 4 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 36,334 students enrolled at San Diego State University, 1,433 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 853 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,806. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at SDSU]](/colleges/san-diego-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of California - Davis came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology ranking. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 83 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california vets studying ecology list, UC Davis has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 31 of the 39,074 students enrolled at UC Davis were GI Bill® students, of which 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,489. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UC Davis]](/colleges/university-of-california-davis/student-life/veterans/)
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 97 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 286 of the 26,179 students enrolled at University of California - Santa Barbara were GI Bill® students, of which 128 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,510. During this same period, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of California - Santa Barbara does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 91%.
Read More…
Stanford University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ecology degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.
Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 188 of the 15,953 students enrolled at Stanford University were GI Bill® students, of which 118 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,909. On top of their other funding sources, 61 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Stanford University]](/colleges/stanford-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of California - Riverside landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology ranking. University of California - Riverside is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s ecology degrees to qualified students.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, UCR supports 26,434 students, and 11 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 5 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,182. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UCR offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read More…
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 155 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 19,161 students enrolled at UC Santa Cruz, 273 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 114 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,631. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 85%.
Read More…
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology ranking, coming in at #11. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 25 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 40,069 students enrolled at CSULB, 822 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 310 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,845. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
San Jose State University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified ’s ecology students in 2020-2021.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, San Jose State University supports 36,208 students, and 660 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 384 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,909. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. San Jose State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 86%.
Full San Jose State University Veteran Student Life Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Ecology ranking, coming in at #13. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 30,014 students enrolled at Cal Poly Pomona, 34 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 17 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,486. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
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