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Conservation science officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a conservation science officer. Conservation science officers usually study biology, chemistry, or ecology, population biology, and epidemiology. 63% of conservation science officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 80 real conservation science officer resumes to see exactly what conservation science officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for conservation science officers are the Walden University and the Walden University.

There are also many online conservation science officer courses to help get the education required to be a conservation science officer.

What education do you need to become a conservation science officer?

What degree do you need to be a conservation science officer?

The most common degree for conservation science officers is bachelor's degree, with 63% of conservation science officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Doctorate, 14%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a conservation science officer?

You should major in biology to become a conservation science officer. 17% of conservation science officers major in biology. Other common majors for a conservation science officer include chemistry and ecology, population biology, and epidemiology.

Most common colleges for conservation science officers

Conservation science officers often get their degrees at Walden University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Duke University. Here are the most common colleges for conservation science officers in the US based on their resumes.
Conservation science officer common collegePercentages
Walden University8.70%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill8.70%
Duke University8.70%
Ohio State University4.35%
Kansas State University4.35%

Best majors for conservation science officers

Best colleges for conservation science officers

The best colleges for conservation science officers are Duke University, Northwestern University, and Stanford University.

A conservation science officer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for conservation science officers. 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 conservation science officers.

1. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

2. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

3. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for conservation science officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for conservation science officers

The most affordable schools for conservation science officers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for conservation science officers 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 conservation science officers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for conservation science officers

The hardest universities for conservation science officers to get into are Duke University, Northwestern University, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for conservation science officers 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 conservation science officers 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

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 conservation science officers

The easiest schools for conservation science officers to get into are Curry College, d'youville college, and saint joseph's college of maine.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a conservation science officer 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 conservation science officers.

1. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

6. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

9. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average conservation science officer salary by education level

Conservation science officers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $71,397 annually. With a Master's degree, conservation science officers earn a median annual income of $63,129 compared to $58,424 for conservation science officers with an Bachelor's degree.
Conservation science officer education levelConservation science officer salary
Master's Degree$63,129
Bachelor's Degree$58,424
Doctorate Degree$71,397

Conservation science officer 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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