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Fish and wildlife biologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a fish and wildlife biologist. Fish and wildlife biologists usually study biology, environmental science, or ecology, population biology, and epidemiology. 73% of fish and wildlife biologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 165 real fish and wildlife biologist resumes to see exactly what fish and wildlife biologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for fish and wildlife biologists are the Oregon State University and the Oregon State University.
There are also many online fish and wildlife biologist courses to help get the education required to be a fish and wildlife biologist.
What education do you need to become a fish and wildlife biologist?
What degree do you need to be a fish and wildlife biologist?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 10%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a fish and wildlife biologist?
- Biology, 28%
- Wildlife Management, 10%
- Other Majors, 28%
Most common colleges for fish and wildlife biologists
| Fish and wildlife biologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Oregon State University | 11.54% |
| Washington State University | 5.77% |
| Humboldt State University | 5.77% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 5.77% |
| Colorado State University | 5.77% |
Best majors for fish and wildlife biologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 28.2% |
| 2 | Environmental Science | 16.8% |
| 3 | Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology | 16.8% |
| 4 | Wildlife Management | 9.9% |
| 5 | Zoology | 7.6% |
Best colleges for fish and wildlife biologists
The best colleges for fish and wildlife biologists are Duke University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A fish and wildlife biologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for fish and wildlife biologists. 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 fish and wildlife biologists.
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 fish and wildlife biologists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for fish and wildlife biologists
The most affordable schools for fish and wildlife biologists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for fish and wildlife biologists 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 fish and wildlife biologists.
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 fish and wildlife biologists
The hardest universities for fish and wildlife biologists to get into are Duke University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for fish and wildlife biologists 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 fish and wildlife biologists 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 fish and wildlife biologists
The easiest schools for fish and wildlife biologists 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 a fish and wildlife biologist 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 fish and wildlife biologists.
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 fish and wildlife biologist salary by education level
| Fish and wildlife biologist education level | Fish and wildlife biologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $54,595 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $49,597 |
| Doctorate Degree | $63,616 |
Fish and wildlife biologist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025