Best Schools for Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology

Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology graduates earn a median of $25,939 within two years of graduation, ranking #265 out of 292 tracked majors — 27% below the median across all fields. There are 62 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 2,393 recent graduates.

Where you study matters: Towson University graduates earn $48,041 while St Lawrence University graduates earn $13,702 — a $34,339 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap.

Early career salary growth is modest: Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology graduates see an average -3% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.

62
Schools
$25,939
Avg. 2yr Earnings
#265
of 292 Majors
2,393
Graduates

Public vs Private: Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology

Public (43 schools)
$25,757
avg. 2yr earnings
Private (19 schools)
$26,352
avg. 2yr earnings

Private schools produce $595 more in early earnings on average for Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.

Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology by State

Top Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology Schools by Graduate Earnings

#1
T

Towson University

Towson, MD · Public

$48,041
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 82.8%
#2
H

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA · Private

$42,682
2yr Earnings
1yr: $41,939
Grads: 29
Acceptance: 3.5%
#3
N

New York University

New York, NY · Private

$42,532
2yr Earnings
1yr: $27,491
Grads: 20
Acceptance: 9.4%
#4
U

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA · Public

$36,674
2yr Earnings
1yr: $30,943
Grads: 24
Acceptance: 42.5%
#5
W

Wingate University

Wingate, NC · Private

$33,993
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 85.0%
#6
E

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, PA · Public

$33,281
2yr Earnings
1yr: $32,549
Grads: 33
Acceptance: 92.9%
#7
C

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Pomona, CA · Public

$32,569
2yr Earnings
1yr: $32,416
Grads: 49
Acceptance: 73.7%
#8
U

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia, SC · Public

$31,374
2yr Earnings
1yr: $25,267
Grads: 44
Acceptance: 61.5%
#9
Y

Yale University

New Haven, CT · Private

$30,771
2yr Earnings
1yr: $34,915
Grads: 17
Acceptance: 4.5%
#10
U

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, CO · Public

$30,573
2yr Earnings
1yr: $30,230
Grads: 128
Acceptance: 83.3%
#11
B

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, MN · Public

$30,409
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 70.7%
#12
C

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA · Public

$29,685
2yr Earnings
1yr: $18,635
Grads: 20
Acceptance: 93.2%
#13
U

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, HI · Public

$29,322
2yr Earnings
1yr: $28,953
Grads: 20
Acceptance: 69.7%
#14
U

University of Maryland-College Park

College Park, MD · Public

$29,250
2yr Earnings
1yr: $36,711
Grads: 55
Acceptance: 44.8%
#15
I

Iowa State University

Ames, IA · Public

$29,183
2yr Earnings
1yr: $26,485
Grads: 128
Acceptance: 89.1%
#16
U

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN · Public

$28,816
2yr Earnings
1yr: $28,217
Grads: 31
Acceptance: 77.0%
#17
C

California State University-Chico

Chico, CA · Public

$28,598
2yr Earnings
1yr: $32,122
Grads: 23
Acceptance: 93.7%
#18
T

The University of Tampa

Tampa, FL · Private

$28,598
2yr Earnings
1yr: $19,540
Grads: 34
Acceptance: 40.9%
#19
B

Boston University

Boston, MA · Private

$28,598
2yr Earnings
1yr: $32,224
Grads: 32
Acceptance: 10.8%
#20
T

Texas A&M University-College Station

College Station, TX · Public

$27,181
2yr Earnings
1yr: $24,794
Grads: 129
Acceptance: 63.2%
#21
U

Unity Environmental University

New Gloucester, ME · Private

$26,933
2yr Earnings
1yr: $22,365
Grads: 21
Acceptance: 81.8%
#22
R

Roger Williams University

Bristol, RI · Private

$26,585
2yr Earnings
1yr: $25,229
Grads: 36
Acceptance: 87.8%
#23
S

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN · Public

$26,570
2yr Earnings
1yr: $30,148
Grads: 16
Acceptance: 95.0%
#24
A

Alaska Pacific University

Anchorage, AK · Private

$26,353
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 86.2%
#25
A

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC · Public

$26,353
2yr Earnings
1yr: $19,709
Grads: 34
Acceptance: 88.6%
#26
O

Oklahoma State University-Main Campus

Stillwater, OK · Public

$26,353
2yr Earnings
1yr: $29,952
Grads: 54
Acceptance: 70.9%
#27
U

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA · Public

$26,224
2yr Earnings
1yr: $24,033
Grads: 89
Acceptance: 24.5%
#28
S

SUNY Brockport

Brockport, NY · Public

$26,121
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,225
Grads: 21
Acceptance: 71.3%
#29
U

University of New England

Biddeford, ME · Private

$25,774
2yr Earnings
1yr: $25,312
Grads: 48
Acceptance: 88.8%
#30
C

Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Fort Collins, CO · Public

$25,194
2yr Earnings
1yr: $30,566
Grads: 61
Acceptance: 89.6%
#31
U

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI · Public

$24,904
2yr Earnings
1yr: $23,512
Grads: 41
Acceptance: 43.4%
#32
U

University of West Florida

Pensacola, FL · Public

$24,808
2yr Earnings
1yr: $22,677
Grads: 26
Acceptance: 56.9%
#33
U

University of Rhode Island

Kingston, RI · Public

$24,421
2yr Earnings
1yr: $21,113
Grads: 41
Acceptance: 77.1%
#34
U

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA · Public

$24,351
2yr Earnings
1yr: $26,448
Grads: 128
Acceptance: 62.5%
#35
N

Northwest Missouri State University

Maryville, MO · Public

$24,267
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 85.9%
#36
U

University of Hawaii at Hilo

Hilo, HI · Public

$24,035
2yr Earnings
1yr: $26,017
Grads: 31
Acceptance: 89.8%
#37
C

Coastal Carolina University

Conway, SC · Public

$23,694
2yr Earnings
1yr: $24,662
Grads: 184
Acceptance: 80.2%
#38
B

Brigham Young University

Provo, UT · Private

$23,649
2yr Earnings
1yr: $30,637
Grads: 48
Acceptance: 69.2%
#39
S

Stockton University

Galloway, NJ · Public

$22,907
2yr Earnings
1yr: $22,278
Grads: 52
Acceptance: 88.2%
#40
S

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Syracuse, NY · Public

$22,880
2yr Earnings
1yr: $22,722
Grads: 60
Acceptance: 82.9%
#41
E

Eckerd College

Saint Petersburg, FL · Private

$22,814
2yr Earnings
1yr: $22,542
Grads: 61
Acceptance: 78.7%
#42
M

Monmouth University

West Long Branch, NJ · Private

$22,667
2yr Earnings
1yr: $25,651
Grads: 18
Acceptance: 89.5%
#43
U

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Wilmington, NC · Public

$22,444
2yr Earnings
1yr: $22,587
Grads: 71
Acceptance: 74.0%
#44
U

University of New Haven

West Haven, CT · Private

$22,420
2yr Earnings
1yr: $24,030
Grads: 33
Acceptance: 80.5%
#45
M

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI · Public

$22,192
2yr Earnings
1yr: $26,376
Grads: 27
Acceptance: 83.9%
#46
U

University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ · Public

$21,964
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 85.7%
#47
S

State University of New York at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY · Public

$21,964
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 75.2%
#48
S

Siena College

Loudonville, NY · Private

$21,508
2yr Earnings
1yr: $26,977
Grads: 19
Acceptance: 70.6%
#49
U

University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA · Public

$21,312
2yr Earnings
1yr: $26,780
Grads: 49
Acceptance: 27.8%
#50
F

Florida Institute of Technology

Melbourne, FL · Private

$20,824
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 62.5%

Showing top 50 of 62 schools. View all or filter by state above.

Majors with Similar Earnings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology?
Towson University ranks #1 for Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology with median graduate earnings of $48,041 within two years. There are 62 schools nationwide offering this major with tracked earnings data.
How much do Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology graduates earn?
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology graduates earn an average of $25,939 within two years of graduation. This is 27% below the median across all majors. Earnings range from $13,702 to $48,041 depending on the school.
How hard is it to get into a top Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology program?
The average acceptance rate across Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology programs is 67.5%. The most selective program is at Harvard University with a 3.5% acceptance rate. Competitive programs value strong math/analytical skills and relevant coursework.
Is a public or private school better for Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology?
Private Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology programs average $26,352 in early earnings vs $25,757 at public schools. Private schools lead in earnings, but cost significantly more — calculate net price before deciding.

Data updated June 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders.

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