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Park ranger education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a park ranger. Park rangers usually study criminal justice, environmental science, or history. 62% of park rangers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,442 real park ranger resumes to see exactly what park ranger education sections show.
The most common colleges for park rangers are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online park ranger courses to help get the education required to be a park ranger.
There are certain park ranger certifications that you should consider. These park ranger certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED.
What education do you need to become a park ranger?
What degree do you need to be a park ranger?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Associate, 18%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a park ranger?
- Criminal Justice, 16%
- History, 8%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 57%
Most common colleges for park rangers
| Park ranger common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.84% |
| Central Michigan University | 6.86% |
| West Virginia University | 6.54% |
| Oregon State University | 6.54% |
| Colorado State University | 5.88% |
Best majors for park rangers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 16.2% |
| 2 | Environmental Science | 12.1% |
| 3 | History | 7.6% |
| 4 | Business | 7.3% |
| 5 | Biology | 7.1% |
Best colleges for park rangers
The best colleges for park rangers are Duke University, Boston College, and Northeastern University.
A park ranger with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for park rangers. 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 park rangers.
1. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
2. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
3. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
4. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,912
Enrollment
14,245
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
10. Muskingum University
New Concord, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$28,266
Enrollment
1,544
20 best online courses for park rangers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for park rangers
The most affordable schools for park rangers are Brigham Young University, california state university - long beach, and florida international university.
If the best universities for park rangers 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 park rangers.
1. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for park rangers
The hardest universities for park rangers to get into are Duke University, Boston College, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for park rangers 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 park rangers 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. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
6. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,347
8. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
9. Colby College
Waterville, ME • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,437
10. American University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,320
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for park rangers
The easiest schools for park rangers to get into are Wayland Baptist University, curry 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 park ranger 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 park rangers.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
3. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
4. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
8. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
9. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average park ranger salary by education level
| Park ranger education level | Park ranger salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $39,890 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,072 |
| Doctorate Degree | $46,756 |
Park ranger education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025