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Taxonomist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a taxonomist. Taxonomists usually study biology, ecology, population biology, and epidemiology, or library science. 68% of taxonomists hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 115 real taxonomist resumes to see exactly what taxonomist education sections show.

The most common colleges for taxonomists are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

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

What education do you need to become a taxonomist?

What degree do you need to be a taxonomist?

The most common degree for taxonomists is bachelor's degree, with 68% of taxonomists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Doctorate, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a taxonomist?

You should major in biology to become a taxonomist. 20% of taxonomists major in biology. Other common majors for a taxonomist include ecology, population biology, and epidemiology and library science.

Most common colleges for taxonomists

Taxonomists often get their degrees at University of California - Davis, Colorado State University, and Tennessee Technological University. Here are the most common colleges for taxonomists in the US based on their resumes.
Taxonomist common collegePercentages
University of California - Davis12.50%
Colorado State University9.38%
Tennessee Technological University9.38%
George Washington University, The6.25%
University of Texas at Austin6.25%

Best majors for taxonomists

Best colleges for taxonomists

The best colleges for taxonomists are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.

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

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

8. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

20 best online courses for taxonomists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for taxonomists

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

If the best universities for taxonomists 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 taxonomists.

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. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for taxonomists

The hardest universities for taxonomists to get into are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.

Some great schools for taxonomists 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 taxonomists 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

9. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

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

The easiest schools for taxonomists to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a taxonomist 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 taxonomists.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

7. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

8. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

Average taxonomist salary by education level

According to our data, taxonomists with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $84,459 annually. Taxonomists with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $65,738.
Taxonomist education levelTaxonomist salary
Master's Degree$65,738
Bachelor's Degree$56,716
Doctorate Degree$84,459

Taxonomist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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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