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Ecologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an ecologist. Ecologists usually study biology, environmental science, or ecology, population biology, and epidemiology. 69% of ecologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 519 real ecologist resumes to see exactly what ecologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for ecologists are the Colorado State University and the Colorado State University.
There are also many online ecologist courses to help get the education required to be an ecologist.
What education do you need to become an ecologist?
What degree do you need to be an ecologist?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an ecologist?
Most common colleges for ecologists
| Ecologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Colorado State University | 9.89% |
| University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | 8.79% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 6.59% |
| Michigan State University | 6.59% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.59% |
Best majors for ecologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 28.0% |
| 2 | Environmental Science | 19.7% |
| 3 | Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology | 16.3% |
| 4 | Zoology | 6.4% |
| 5 | Wildlife Management | 5.3% |
Best colleges for ecologists
The best colleges for ecologists are Duke University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
An 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 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 ecologists.
1. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
20 best online courses for ecologists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for ecologists
The most affordable schools for ecologists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for 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 ecologists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for ecologists
The hardest universities for ecologists to get into are Duke University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for 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 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for ecologists
The easiest schools for ecologists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, curry college, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an 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 ecologists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
10. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
Average ecologist salary by education level
| Ecologist education level | Ecologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $52,429 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,728 |
| Doctorate Degree | $60,892 |
Ecologist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025