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Aquatic ecologist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an aquatic ecologist. Aquatic ecologists usually study biology, environmental science, or ecology, population biology, and epidemiology. 85% of aquatic ecologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 47 real aquatic ecologist resumes to see exactly what aquatic ecologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for aquatic ecologists are the The University of Alabama and the The University of Alabama.

There are also many online aquatic ecologist courses to help get the education required to be an aquatic ecologist.

What education do you need to become an aquatic ecologist?

What degree do you need to be an aquatic ecologist?

The most common degree for aquatic ecologists is bachelor's degree, with 85% of aquatic ecologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 2%.
  • Bachelor's, 85%
  • Master's, 11%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Doctorate, 2%

What should I major in to become an aquatic ecologist?

You should major in biology to become an aquatic ecologist. 26% of aquatic ecologists major in biology. Other common majors for an aquatic ecologist include environmental science and ecology, population biology, and epidemiology.

Most common colleges for aquatic ecologists

Aquatic ecologists often get their degrees at The University of Alabama, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and University of Idaho. Here are the most common colleges for aquatic ecologists in the US based on their resumes.
Aquatic ecologist common collegePercentages
The University of Alabama15.38%
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry7.69%
University of Idaho7.69%
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville7.69%
DeVry University - Phoenix Campus3.85%

Best majors for aquatic ecologists

Best colleges for aquatic ecologists

The best colleges for aquatic ecologists are Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University.

An aquatic ecologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for aquatic ecologists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become aquatic ecologists.

1. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

3. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$15,887

Enrollment

23,202

8. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

9. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

In-state tuition

$15,374

Enrollment

19,564

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

20 best online courses for aquatic ecologists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for aquatic ecologists

The most affordable schools for aquatic ecologists are University of Florida, brigham young university, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for aquatic ecologists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for aquatic ecologists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

10. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Cost of attendance

24,514

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for aquatic ecologists

The hardest universities for aquatic ecologists to get into are Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University.

Some great schools for aquatic ecologists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for aquatic ecologists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

8. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

9. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for aquatic ecologists

The easiest schools for aquatic ecologists to get into are Saint Joseph's College of Maine, waynesburg university, and san francisco state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an aquatic ecologist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for aquatic ecologists.

1. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

2. Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,080

3. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

4. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

7. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

8. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average aquatic ecologist salary by education level

According to our data, aquatic ecologists with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $62,376 annually. Aquatic ecologists with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $53,799.
Aquatic ecologist education levelAquatic ecologist salary
Master's Degree$53,799
Bachelor's Degree$49,026
Doctorate Degree$62,376

Aquatic ecologist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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