Ecology
CIP Code: 26.1301A ecology degree prepares graduates for careers in Natural sciences managers, Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary, Biological scientists, all other and more. 67 colleges and universities offer this program.
Annual Degrees Awarded
1,201
Colleges Offering
67
Avg. Career Salary
$95,344
Top Career Salary
$161,180
Ecology Salary by College
Nationally, bachelor’s graduates in this field earn a median $48,842 four years after graduating (middle half: $36,007–$64,274). Where you study it matters: across 62 colleges with reported results, pay ranges from $36,771 to $65,639.
Sort by:
| # | College | 4 yrs after | Wage-adjusted | 1 yr after | Median debt | Outcome Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD | $65,639 | $57,606 | $36,375 | $19,500 | A+ |
| 2 | New York University New York, NY | $65,406 | $62,253 | $41,024 | $20,500 | A+ |
| 3 | California State University-Chico Chico, CA | $64,274 | $58,485 | — | — | B |
| 4 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA | $63,525 | $57,804 | — | $12,744 | B+ |
| 5 | Connecticut College New London, CT | $62,925 | $56,653 | — | $25,979 | A |
| 6 | Princeton University Princeton, NJ | $62,344 | $54,718 | $53,038 | — | A+ |
| 7 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA | $62,011 | $56,426 | $32,161 | $19,591 | A |
| 8 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT | $61,078 | $57,888 | $24,143 | $10,419 | A |
| 9 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA | $59,940 | $54,541 | $34,838 | $20,335 | C |
| 10 | Boston University Boston, MA | $57,967 | $51,046 | — | $24,677 | A+ |
| 11 | California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA | $55,588 | $50,581 | $35,436 | $17,750 | B |
| 12 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI | $55,159 | $58,159 | $29,318 | $25,000 | A |
| 13 | University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC | $55,093 | $61,090 | $25,271 | $18,965 | A |
| 14 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO | $54,370 | $50,847 | $35,322 | $19,500 | C+ |
| 15 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY | $53,747 | $51,156 | $22,725 | $20,038 | A |
| 16 | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA | $53,518 | $48,698 | $35,110 | $17,387 | C+ |
| 17 | University of Dayton Dayton, OH | $53,448 | $57,037 | $23,609 | $23,000 | A+ |
| 18 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO | $53,429 | $49,967 | $37,184 | $21,256 | B+ |
| 19 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Stillwater, OK | $53,126 | $59,648 | $31,923 | $21,410 | B+ |
| 24 | University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT | $52,766 | $47,506 | $32,882 | $26,012 | B+ |
| 23 | University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT | $52,766 | $47,506 | $32,882 | $26,012 | B+ |
| 22 | University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT | $52,766 | $47,506 | $32,882 | $26,012 | B+ |
| 21 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT | $52,766 | $47,506 | $32,882 | $26,012 | B+ |
| 20 | University of Connecticut Storrs, CT | $52,766 | $47,506 | $32,882 | $26,012 | A |
| 25 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | $52,701 | $47,954 | $31,088 | $18,367 | A+ |
| 26 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | $52,390 | $55,239 | $22,844 | $15,242 | A+ |
| 27 | University of Delaware Newark, DE | $52,110 | $51,798 | $33,296 | $19,500 | A |
| 28 | Roger Williams University Bristol, RI | $51,857 | $51,074 | $29,074 | $27,000 | B+ |
| 29 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | $51,559 | $46,915 | $18,728 | $17,417 | A+ |
| 30 | University of North Texas Denton, TX | $51,368 | $52,226 | $28,681 | $17,677 | C+ |
| 31 | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | $50,694 | $46,128 | $29,258 | $12,750 | A |
| 32 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN | $50,106 | $47,862 | $33,682 | $22,287 | A |
| 33 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, NY | $50,010 | $47,599 | — | — | C+ |
| 34 | University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA | $49,821 | $45,334 | $25,810 | $17,589 | B+ |
| 35 | Utah State University Logan, UT | $49,758 | $47,159 | — | — | C |
| 36 | University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI | $49,602 | $51,613 | $28,856 | $19,500 | A+ |
| 37 | University of Georgia Athens, GA | $49,436 | $51,176 | $25,724 | $14,000 | A |
| 38 | Siena College Loudonville, NY | $49,016 | $46,653 | $37,789 | $27,000 | A |
| 39 | Eckerd College Saint Petersburg, FL | $48,631 | $51,761 | $21,980 | $27,000 | C+ |
| 40 | University of New England Biddeford, ME | $48,592 | $51,641 | $29,871 | $27,000 | B |
| 41 | University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI | $48,446 | $47,714 | $26,176 | $20,500 | B+ |
| 42 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ | $47,553 | $41,737 | $39,491 | $25,750 | A |
| 43 | University of Idaho Moscow, ID | $47,372 | $50,374 | $31,656 | $16,000 | C+ |
| 44 | University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI | $46,500 | $42,310 | $25,820 | $24,577 | C |
| 45 | Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX | $46,453 | $47,229 | $27,770 | $21,624 | A |
| 46 | Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN | $45,822 | $43,770 | $35,521 | $20,600 | C |
| 47 | Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC | $45,323 | $50,256 | $26,838 | $23,973 | C |
| 48 | Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL | $45,287 | $48,202 | $31,114 | $20,500 | B |
| 49 | University of New Haven West Haven, CT | $45,115 | $40,618 | $29,767 | $27,000 | C |
| 50 | Stockton University Galloway, NJ | $44,981 | $39,479 | $29,289 | $22,875 | C |
| 51 | Unity Environmental University New Gloucester, ME | $44,652 | $47,453 | — | — | D |
| 52 | Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN | $44,386 | $42,398 | $24,862 | $25,312 | C |
| 53 | SUNY College at Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY | $44,153 | $42,025 | $23,682 | — | C |
| 54 | The University of Tampa Tampa, FL | $43,683 | $46,495 | $29,603 | $26,449 | B |
| 55 | Florida Southern College Lakeland, FL | $43,549 | $46,352 | $26,616 | $23,250 | B |
| 56 | University of Miami Coral Gables, FL | $42,932 | $45,696 | $23,504 | $16,500 | A+ |
| 57 | College of Charleston Charleston, SC | $42,466 | $47,088 | — | $25,000 | B |
| 58 | St Lawrence University Canton, NY | $41,638 | $39,631 | $17,443 | $26,500 | B+ |
| 59 | University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC | $39,812 | $42,724 | $25,303 | $19,500 | B |
| 60 | University of Hawaii at Hilo Hilo, HI | $39,528 | $35,966 | — | $20,115 | F |
| 61 | Iowa State University Ames, IA | $39,143 | $41,174 | $29,842 | $21,500 | B+ |
| 62 | University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS | $36,771 | $44,615 | — | — | C |
Bachelor’s degrees. Wage-adjusted = pay ÷ √(state wage index). Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data.
What Can You Do With a Ecology Degree?
Graduates with this degree pursue careers in the following fields:
$95,344
Average Salary Across Careers
$161,180
Highest Paying Career
7
Career Paths Available
Best Colleges for Ecology
Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees awarded. These are the top-rated colleges that produce the most graduates in ecology.
| # | College | Location | Degrees Awarded | Repit Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | 35 | A+ |
| 2 | New York University | New York, NY | 56 | A |
| 3 | University of Georgia | Athens, GA | 53 | A |
| 4 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | 26 | A |
| 5 | University of Maryland-College Park | College Park, MD | 112 | B+ |
| 6 | Texas A & M University-College Station | College Station, TX | 63 | B+ |
| 7 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN | 40 | B+ |
| 8 | University of Connecticut | Storrs, CT | 37 | B+ |
| 9 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA | 95 | B |
| 10 | University of California-Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, CA | 71 | B |
| 11 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | Stillwater, OK | 59 | B |
| 12 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | Fort Collins, CO | 28 | B |
| 13 | Connecticut College | New London, CT | 25 | B |
| 14 | Utah State University | Logan, UT | 104 | C+ |
| 15 | University of North Texas | Denton, TX | 53 | C+ |
Largest Ecology Programs
Schools ranked by number of graduates. These institutions produce the most ecology graduates annually, including online and distance learning programs.
| # | College | Location | Degrees Awarded | Repit Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Maryland-College Park | College Park, MD | 112 | B+ |
| 2 | Utah State University | Logan, UT | 104 | C+ |
| 3 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA | 95 | B |
| 4 | University of California-Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, CA | 71 | B |
| 5 | Texas A & M University-College Station | College Station, TX | 63 | B+ |
| 6 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | Stillwater, OK | 59 | B |
| 7 | New York University | New York, NY | 56 | A |
| 8 | University of Georgia | Athens, GA | 53 | A |
| 9 | University of North Texas | Denton, TX | 53 | C+ |
| 10 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN | 40 | B+ |
| 11 | University of Connecticut | Storrs, CT | 37 | B+ |
| 12 | University of California-Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | 35 | A+ |
| 13 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | Fort Collins, CO | 28 | B |
| 14 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | 26 | A |
| 15 | Connecticut College | New London, CT | 25 | B |
1,201
Degrees Awarded Annually
67
Colleges Offering Program
7
Related Careers
About Ecology
Ecology is a degree program offered at 67 colleges and universities across the United States. Each year, approximately 1,201 students graduate with this degree.
Graduates with this degree can pursue careers such as natural sciences managers, forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary, biological scientists, all other, life scientists, all other, biological science teachers, postsecondary, and 2 more career paths.
Program Classification
CIP Code
26.1301
Field (2-digit CIP)
26
Category (4-digit CIP)
26.13
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do with a Ecology degree?
A Ecology degree can lead to careers as a
natural sciences managers, forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary, biological scientists, all other, life scientists, all other, biological science teachers, postsecondary,
and more.
Top earners in related careers can make up to $161,180 annually.
How many colleges offer Ecology?
67 colleges and universities in the United States offer
Ecology as a degree program. Each year, approximately 1,201
students graduate with this degree.
What are the best colleges for Ecology?
The best colleges for Ecology based on Repit's ratings include
University of California-Los Angeles, New York University, University of Georgia, University of Florida, University of Maryland-College Park.
Rankings are based on the college's overall Repit grade and the number of degrees awarded in this program.
What is the salary potential with a Ecology degree?
Graduates with a Ecology degree can expect average salaries around $95,344
in related careers, with top earners making up to $161,180.
Actual salaries depend on the specific career path, experience level, and location.