Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography
CIP Code: 26.1302A marine biology and biological oceanography degree prepares graduates for careers in Natural sciences managers, Biological scientists, all other, Biological science teachers, postsecondary and more. 84 colleges and universities offer this program.
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography 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 Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography Degree?
Graduates with this degree pursue careers in the following fields:
Best Colleges for Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography
Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees awarded. These are the top-rated colleges that produce the most graduates in marine biology and biological oceanography.
Largest Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography Programs
Schools ranked by number of graduates. These institutions produce the most marine biology and biological oceanography graduates annually, including online and distance learning programs.
About Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography is a degree program offered at 84 colleges and universities across the United States. Each year, approximately 2,375 students graduate with this degree.
Graduates with this degree can pursue careers such as natural sciences managers, biological scientists, all other, biological science teachers, postsecondary, zoologists and wildlife biologists, biological technicians.