Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Wildlife ecologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a wildlife ecologist. Wildlife ecologists usually study biology, zoology, or ecology, population biology, and epidemiology. 50% of wildlife ecologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 44% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 20 real wildlife ecologist resumes to see exactly what wildlife ecologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for wildlife ecologists are the University of South Carolina - Columbia and the University of South Carolina - Columbia.
There are also many online wildlife ecologist courses to help get the education required to be a wildlife ecologist.
What education do you need to become a wildlife ecologist?
What degree do you need to be a wildlife ecologist?
- Bachelor's, 50%
- Master's, 44%
- Doctorate, 6%
What should I major in to become a wildlife ecologist?
Most common colleges for wildlife ecologists
| Wildlife ecologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of South Carolina - Columbia | 8.33% |
| Colorado State University | 8.33% |
| University of Florida | 8.33% |
| North Carolina State University | 8.33% |
| The University of Montana | 8.33% |
Best majors for wildlife ecologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 37.5% |
| 2 | Zoology | 18.8% |
| 3 | Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology | 12.5% |
| 4 | Natural Resources Management | 6.3% |
| 5 | Pharmacology | 6.3% |
Best colleges for wildlife ecologists
The best colleges for wildlife ecologists are Harvard University, Duke University, and Stanford University.
A wildlife ecologist 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 ecologists. 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 ecologists.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
6. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
7. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
20 best online courses for wildlife ecologists
Advertising disclosure
1. Scrape and analyze data analyst job requirements with Python
In this project, you’ll help a recruitment agency improve its job vacancy sourcing by using Python’s web-scraping capabilities to extract job postings from multiple sites. This task will require you to write a Python script to extract job posting data from the source site and save it to a comma separated values (CSV) file. Your work will help the agency provide clients with with relevant job openings more quickly, giving them a competitive advantage over other applicants. There isn’t just one...
2. Wildlife Photography for Beginners and Amateurs
Learn the secrets that will drastically improve your Nature & Wildlife Photography skills and make your images stand out...
3. Species Distribution Models with GIS & Machine Learning in R
Mapping Habitat Suitability for Conservation Using Machine Learning and GIS in R...
4. Core Spatial Data Analysis: Introductory GIS with R and QGIS
Become Proficient In Spatial Data Analysis Using R & QGIS By Working On A Real Project - Get A Job In Spatial Data!...
5. 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!...
6. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery
Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...
7. Project Management - Complete Guide For A+ Project Managers
Complete guide to project management - stakeholders, planning, cost, quality, risks, feasibility, methods & resourcing...
8. Applied Time Series Analysis and Forecasting with R Projects
Use R to work on real world time series analysis and forecasting examples. Applied data science with R...
9. Time Series Analysis Real World Projects in Python
Learn how to Solve 3 real Business Problems. Build Robust AI ,Time Series Models for Time Series Analysis & Forecasting...
10. Apply finance concepts for smart project management
Learn to read financial statements and make meaningful interpretations for business decisions in the age of big data...
11. Data Science- Project Management Methodology-CRISP-DM
End to End High Level Overview of Data Science & AI projects...
12. CompTIA Project+ Exam Prep
How to pass the Comp TIA Project+ Exam...
13. General Biology I: Foundations of Biology
An essential course in Biology for students of all ages...
14. Mastering Agile Scrum Project Management
Review and master agile development & scrum methodologies for your career...
15. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0
Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...
16. Lean Project Management
Transform Your Approach and Deliver Lasting Business Value...
17. Practical Project Management for Management Consultants
How to manage successfully a consulting project - a practical guide for Project Managers...
18. An introduction to GIS and QGIS 3
Learn the fundamentals of GIS and get comfortable with QGIS interface...
19. Beginning Project Management: Project Management Level One
Project Management: Growing a Successful Career as a Project Manager...
20. Complete Google Earth Engine for Remote Sensing & GIS
Harness the Power of Google Earth Engine for GIS Spatial Data Analysis & Remote Sensing...
Top 10 most affordable universities for wildlife ecologists
The most affordable schools for wildlife ecologists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for wildlife ecologists 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 ecologists.
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
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 ecologists
The hardest universities for wildlife ecologists to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for wildlife ecologists 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 ecologists 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for wildlife ecologists
The easiest schools for wildlife ecologists to get into are Barry University, saint joseph's college of maine, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a wildlife ecologist 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 ecologists.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average wildlife ecologist salary by education level
| Wildlife ecologist education level | Wildlife ecologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $46,650 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $42,945 |
| Doctorate Degree | $53,224 |
Wildlife ecologist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
Search for wildlife ecologist jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025