State wildlife officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a state wildlife officer. State wildlife officers usually study criminal justice, business, or nursing. 66% of state wildlife officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 296 real state wildlife officer resumes to see exactly what state wildlife officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for state wildlife officers are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.

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

What education do you need to become a state wildlife officer?

What degree do you need to be a state wildlife officer?

The most common degree for state wildlife officers is bachelor's degree, with 66% of state wildlife officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 66%

Associate, 15%

High School Diploma, 10%

Master's, 7%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a state wildlife officer?

You should major in criminal justice to become a state wildlife officer. 15% of state wildlife officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a state wildlife officer include business and nursing.

Criminal Justice, 15%

Business, 13%

Nursing, 11%

Liberal Arts, 7%

Other Majors, 54%

Most common colleges for state wildlife officers

State wildlife officers often get their degrees at University of Maryland - College Park, The University of Tennessee - Martin, and University of Central Florida. Here are the most common colleges for state wildlife officers in the US based on their resumes.

State wildlife officer common college	Percentages
University of Maryland - College Park	10.64%
The University of Tennessee - Martin	6.38%
University of Central Florida	6.38%
New York University	6.38%
University of Phoenix	6.38%

Show more common state wildlife officer colleges

Best majors for state wildlife officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	14.8%
2	Business	13.1%
3	Nursing	10.7%
4	Liberal Arts	6.6%
5	Psychology	5.7%

Show more common state wildlife officer majors

Best colleges for state wildlife officers

The best colleges for state wildlife officers are George Washington University, The, SUNY at Binghamton, and Yale University.

A state wildlife 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 state wildlife 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 state wildlife officers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

2. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

8. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,360

Enrollment

3,142

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

20 best online courses for state wildlife officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for state wildlife officers

The most affordable schools for state wildlife officers are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and florida international university.

If the best universities for state wildlife 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 state wildlife officers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for state wildlife officers

The hardest universities for state wildlife officers to get into are George Washington University, The, SUNY at Binghamton, and Yale University.

Some great schools for state wildlife 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 state wildlife 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. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

3. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

4. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for state wildlife officers

The easiest schools for state wildlife officers to get into are Wayland Baptist University, gwynedd mercy university, and curry college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a state wildlife 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 state wildlife officers.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

4. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

10. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

Average state wildlife officer salary by education level

State wildlife officers with a No Education degree earn more than those without, at $56,639 annually. With a Doctorate degree, state wildlife officers earn a median annual income of $52,594 compared to $51,761 for state wildlife officers with an Bachelor's degree.

State wildlife officer education level	State wildlife officer salary
Bachelor's Degree	$51,761
No Education	$56,639
Some College/ Associate Degree	$49,126
Master's Degree	$51,613
High School Diploma or Less	$38,379

State wildlife officer education FAQs

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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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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