Wildlife conservation officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a wildlife conservation officer. Wildlife conservation officers usually study criminal justice, biology, or law. 73% of wildlife conservation officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 54 real wildlife conservation officer resumes to see exactly what wildlife conservation officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for wildlife conservation officers are the Mansfield University of Pennsylvania and the Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.

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

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

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

The most common degree for wildlife conservation officers is bachelor's degree, with 73% of wildlife conservation officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 73%

Associate, 18%

High School Diploma, 5%

Diploma, 5%

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

You should major in criminal justice to become a wildlife conservation officer. 13% of wildlife conservation officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a wildlife conservation officer include biology and law.

Criminal Justice, 13%

Biology, 7%

Law, 7%

Wildlife Management, 7%

Other Majors, 66%

Most common colleges for wildlife conservation officers

Wildlife conservation officers often get their degrees at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, University of Kentucky, and Colorado State University. Here are the most common colleges for wildlife conservation officers in the US based on their resumes.

Wildlife conservation officer common college	Percentages
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania	13.33%
University of Kentucky	6.67%
Colorado State University	6.67%
St. Andrews University	6.67%
Indiana University Bloomington	6.67%

Show more common wildlife conservation officer colleges

Best majors for wildlife conservation officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	13.3%
2	Biology	6.7%
3	Law	6.7%
4	Wildlife Management	6.7%
5	Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology	6.7%

Show more common wildlife conservation officer majors

Best colleges for wildlife conservation officers

The best colleges for wildlife conservation officers are Northeastern University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

A wildlife conservation 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 wildlife conservation 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 wildlife conservation officers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. Temple University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$16,970

Enrollment

28,965

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,360

Enrollment

3,142

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

20 best online courses for wildlife conservation officers

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14. International Law in Action: A Guide to the International Courts and Tribunals in The Hague

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Top 10 most affordable universities for wildlife conservation officers

The most affordable schools for wildlife conservation officers are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for wildlife conservation 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 wildlife conservation 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. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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 wildlife conservation officers

The hardest universities for wildlife conservation officers to get into are Northeastern University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

Some great schools for wildlife conservation 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 wildlife conservation 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

2. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

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

The easiest schools for wildlife conservation officers to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, wayland baptist university, and curry college.

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

1. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average wildlife conservation officer salary by education level

Wildlife conservation officers with a No Education degree earn more than those without, at $65,248 annually. With a Doctorate degree, wildlife conservation officers earn a median annual income of $59,773 compared to $58,654 for wildlife conservation officers with an Bachelor's degree.

Wildlife conservation officer education level	Wildlife conservation officer salary
Bachelor's Degree	$58,654
No Education	$65,248
Some College/ Associate Degree	$55,139
Master's Degree	$58,457
High School Diploma or Less	$41,177

Wildlife conservation 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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