Wildlife officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a wildlife officer. Wildlife officers usually study biology, law, or wildlife management. 61% of wildlife officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 52 real wildlife officer resumes to see exactly what wildlife officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for wildlife officers are the Syracuse University and the Syracuse University.

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

What education do you need to become a wildlife officer?

What degree do you need to be a wildlife officer?

The most common degree for wildlife officers is bachelor's degree, with 61% of wildlife officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 61%

Associate, 14%

Master's, 7%

High School Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become a wildlife officer?

You should major in biology to become a wildlife officer. 10% of wildlife officers major in biology. Other common majors for a wildlife officer include law and wildlife management.

Biology, 10%

Law, 10%

Wildlife Management, 10%

Criminal Justice, 10%

Other Majors, 60%

Most common colleges for wildlife officers

Wildlife officers often get their degrees at Syracuse University, Florida State University, and Henderson State University. Here are the most common colleges for wildlife officers in the US based on their resumes.

Wildlife officer common college	Percentages
Syracuse University	5.56%
Florida State University	5.56%
Henderson State University	5.56%
University of Arkansas at Monticello	5.56%
Barton College	5.56%

Show more common wildlife officer colleges

Best majors for wildlife officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Biology	10.3%
2	Law	10.3%
3	Wildlife Management	10.3%
4	Criminal Justice	10.3%
5	Computer Science	6.9%

Show more common wildlife officer majors

Best colleges for wildlife officers

The best colleges for wildlife officers are Yale University, Harvard University, and Duke University.

A 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 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 wildlife officers.

1. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

2. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

3. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

4. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

5. Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$9,080

Enrollment

30,795

6. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

7. West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV • Private

In-state tuition

$8,856

Enrollment

20,499

8. University of Idaho

Moscow, ID • Private

In-state tuition

$7,864

Enrollment

7,528

9. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

10. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

20 best online courses for wildlife officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for wildlife officers

The most affordable schools for wildlife officers are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and florida international university.

If the best universities for 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 wildlife officers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for wildlife officers

The hardest universities for wildlife officers to get into are Yale University, Harvard University, and Duke University.

Some great schools for 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 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. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

10. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

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

The easiest schools for wildlife officers to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, pennsylvania state university - dubois, and nyack college.

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

1. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

2. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois

DuBois, PA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,079

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average wildlife officer salary by education level

Wildlife officers with a No Education degree earn more than those without, at $51,272 annually. With a Doctorate degree, wildlife officers earn a median annual income of $48,497 compared to $47,918 for wildlife officers with an Bachelor's degree.

Wildlife officer education level	Wildlife officer salary
Bachelor's Degree	$47,918
No Education	$51,272
Some College/ Associate Degree	$46,074
Master's Degree	$47,816
High School Diploma or Less	$38,276

Wildlife officer education FAQs

What is the best college for Wildlife Officers?

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Search for wildlife officer jobs

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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