Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Wildlife biologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a wildlife biologist. Wildlife biologists usually study biology, wildlife management, or environmental science. 81% of wildlife biologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 871 real wildlife biologist resumes to see exactly what wildlife biologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for wildlife biologists are the Humboldt State University and the Humboldt State University.
There are also many online wildlife biologist courses to help get the education required to be a wildlife biologist.
What education do you need to become a wildlife biologist?
What degree do you need to be a wildlife biologist?
- Bachelor's, 81%
- Master's, 9%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a wildlife biologist?
- Biology, 30%
- Wildlife Management, 16%
- Zoology, 13%
- Other Majors, 28%
Most common colleges for wildlife biologists
| Wildlife biologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Humboldt State University | 8.81% |
| Texas A&M University | 6.92% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.29% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.29% |
| Colorado State University | 6.29% |
Best majors for wildlife biologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 29.5% |
| 2 | Wildlife Management | 16.1% |
| 3 | Environmental Science | 13.5% |
| 4 | Zoology | 13.1% |
| 5 | Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology | 12.8% |
Best colleges for wildlife biologists
The best colleges for wildlife biologists are Duke University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A 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 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 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 wildlife biologists
Advertising disclosure
1. Introduction to Biology: Ecology, Evolution, & Biodiversity
In this 3-course specialization, you will learn to see nature the way a biologist does. You will gain an understanding and appreciation for the incredible diversity of life and the interdependence of all living things. You will explore what we know about the origins of life and how biologists have advanced the science of evolution since Charles Darwin's lifetime, as well as the many applications of evolutionary biology to our everyday lives; you will examine the characteristics, functions,...
2. Survey Data Collection and Analytics
This specialization covers the fundamentals of surveys as used in market research, evaluation research, social science and political research, official government statistics, and many other topic domains. In six courses, you will learn the basics of questionnaire design, data collection methods, sampling design, dealing with missing values, making estimates, combining data from different sources, and the analysis of survey data. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills learned...
3. Wildlife Photography for Beginners and Amateurs
Learn the secrets that will drastically improve your Nature & Wildlife Photography skills and make your images stand out...
4. Land use Land cover classification GIS, ERDAS, ArcGIS, ML
Machine Learning, Land Use Scratch to Advance, All Softwares of Remote Sensing and GIS, GIS Tasks in Easy way learning...
5. Geospatial and Environmental Analysis
Apply your GIS knowledge in this course on geospatial analysis, focusing on analysis tools, 3D data, working with rasters, projections, and environment variables. Through all four weeks of this course, we'll work through a project together - something unique to this course - from project conception, through data retrieval, initial data management and processing, and finally to our analysis products. In this class you will learn the fundamentals of geospatial and environmental analysis during...
6. Fundamentals of GIS
Explore the world of spatial analysis and cartography with geographic information systems (GIS). In this class you will learn the basics of the industry’s leading software tool, ArcGIS, during four week-long modules: Week 1: Learn how GIS grew from paper maps to the globally integrated electronic software packages of today. You will install ArcGIS on your computer and learn how to use online help to answer technical questions. Week 2: Open up ArcGIS and explore data using ArcMap. Learn the...
7. The Complete MARINE BIOLOGY 101 Course, Beginner to Advanced
The NEW course with everything you need on Marine Biology - 2021 Online CERTIFICATE - Taught by a real marine biologist!...
8. ArcGIS Level 1: GIS & ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcGlobe, ArcScene
Make yourself Zero to HERO in GIS and Arc GIS with Arc Map, Arc Globe, Arc Catalog, Arc Scene and Web GIS Basic...
9. ArcSWAT Model with ArcGIS - Run for any Study Area - GIS
Watershed Simulation using Arc SWAT. Get Discharge, Rainfall‐Runoff Modeling of Ungauged Catchments. This is advance GIS...
10. Exploring Spatial Information using ArcGIS Pro
Arc GIS Pro is the latest in-demand skill for GIS Professionals that you can master using this highly structured course!...
11. ArcGIS Desktop For Spatial Analysis: Go From Basic To Pro
Spatial Data Analysis With Arc GIS Desktop: Master GIS Techniques and Open Doors to Amazing Geospatial Careers...
12. IT & Technical Support Guide to Helpdesk, Desktop & Servers
Learn how the different levels of IT technical support work, from service desk to infrastructure and server support...
13. ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management system
Understand the requirements for an environmental management system according to ISO 14001:2015...
14. The Ultimate Guide for Land Surveying with Drones - Part 3
Master the use of Ground Control Points (GCPs) to make your UAV mapping projects absolutely survey grade!!...
15. IT Support Technical Skills Bootcamp
Hands-on Technical skills for IT Support Professionals...
16. Groundwater Potential Zones GIS - Complete Project ArcGIS
Also covers, Flood Risk Map, Drought Analysis, Fluctuation from Observed data, Watershed Delineation, Tutorial in depth...
17. Air Dispersion Modeling for Environmental Management
Environmental management with AERMOD Air Pollution Model by EPA...
18. Species Distribution Models with GIS & Machine Learning in R
Mapping Habitat Suitability for Conservation Using Machine Learning and GIS in R...
19. Privacy and Data Protection, Certified GDPR Compliance
From theory to practice (junior and less than 1 year experience level)...
20. Machine Learning in GIS and Remote Sensing: 5 Courses in 1
Understand & apply machine learning and deep learning for geospatial tasks (GIS and Remote Sensing) in QGIS and Arc GIS...
Top 10 most affordable universities for wildlife biologists
The most affordable schools for 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 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 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 wildlife biologists
The hardest universities for wildlife biologists to get into are Duke University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for 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 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 wildlife biologists
The easiest schools for 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 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 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 wildlife biologist salary by education level
| Wildlife biologist education level | Wildlife biologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $53,052 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $48,556 |
| Doctorate Degree | $61,088 |
Wildlife biologist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
Search for wildlife biologist jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025