Naturalist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a naturalist. Naturalists usually study environmental science, biology, or ecology, population biology, and epidemiology. 80% of naturalists hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,612 real naturalist resumes to see exactly what naturalist education sections show.

The most common colleges for naturalists are the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

There are also many online naturalist courses to help get the education required to be a naturalist.

There are certain naturalist certifications that you should consider. These naturalist certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Certified Environmental Professional: Environmental Research & Education.

What education do you need to become a naturalist?

What degree do you need to be a naturalist?

The most common degree for naturalists is bachelor's degree, with 80% of naturalists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 9% and associate degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 80%

Associate, 9%

Master's, 6%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a naturalist?

You should major in environmental science to become a naturalist. 22% of naturalists major in environmental science. Other common majors for a naturalist include biology and ecology, population biology, and epidemiology.

Environmental Science, 22%

Biology, 21%

Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology, 11%

Wildlife Management, 5%

Other Majors, 41%

Most common colleges for naturalists

Naturalists often get their degrees at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, University of Wisconsin Colleges, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for naturalists in the US based on their resumes.

Naturalist common college	Percentages
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point	8.33%
University of Wisconsin Colleges	8.00%
University of California - Davis	6.67%
University of California, Santa Barbara	6.67%
Michigan State University	5.67%

Show more common naturalist colleges

Best majors for naturalists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Environmental Science	22.5%
2	Biology	21.3%
3	Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology	10.9%
4	Wildlife Management	5.5%
5	Zoology	4.5%

Show more common naturalist majors

Best colleges for naturalists

The best colleges for naturalists are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.

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

1. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

20 best online courses for naturalists

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4.4

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Learn basics of Natural Language Processing (NLP), Regular Expressions and Text Pre-processing using Python...

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8. Fully Accredited Certificate in Natural Medicine & Herbalism

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19. Introduction to Natural Language Processing (NLP)

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Learn how to analyze text data...

20. Natural Language Processing for Text Summarization

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Top 10 most affordable universities for naturalists

The most affordable schools for naturalists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for naturalists 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 naturalists.

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. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

9. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for naturalists

The hardest universities for naturalists to get into are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for naturalists 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 naturalists 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

9. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for naturalists

The easiest schools for naturalists 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 naturalist 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 naturalists.

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. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

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. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

10. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

Average naturalist salary by education level

According to our data, naturalists with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $48,233 annually. Naturalists with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $41,462.

Naturalist education level	Naturalist salary
Master's Degree	$41,462
Bachelor's Degree	$37,673
Doctorate Degree	$48,233

Naturalist education FAQs

What is the best college for Naturalists?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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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