Florida · Ecology

Best colleges for Ecology in Florida

Ranked by graduate earnings

Nova Southeastern University, The University of Tampa and Florida Southern College are the top bachelor's Ecology programs in Florida by graduate earnings. Nova Southeastern University leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $31,114, College Scorecard. University of Miami, Eckerd College and University of South Florida award the most Ecology degrees in Florida: 233, 111 and 60 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 16 Florida colleges offer Ecology and award 773 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Ecology program, formally known as Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology, is a comprehensive study within the Biological and Biomedical Sciences field. This program is designed for students interested in understanding…

Institutions
16
offering CIP 26.13
States & territories
52
with a program page
Degrees / yr
773
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$26,616
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
7
College Scorecard
Median net price
$28,325
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
67%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Biological Technicians
$52,420
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 7 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$31,1145563%$31,672$23,549
2The University of Tampa
Tampa Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$29,6036064%$33,070$26,705
3Florida Southern College
Lakeland Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$26,6163971%$28,325$23,250
4University of West Florida
Pensacola Public · Bachelor's degree
$25,2993159%—$20,731
5University of Miami
Coral Gables Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$23,50423384%$26,589$16,500
6Eckerd College
Saint Petersburg Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$21,98011166%$31,022$27,000
7Stetson University
DeLand Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree Small program
$28,195862%$21,948—

Colleges awarding the most Ecology degrees in Florida

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1University of Miami
Coral Gables Private not-for-profit
233$23,504
2Eckerd College
Saint Petersburg Private not-for-profit
111$21,980
3University of South Florida
Tampa Public
60Not reported
4The University of Tampa
Tampa Private not-for-profit
60$29,603
5Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale Private not-for-profit
55$31,114
6Florida International University
Miami Public
48Not reported
7University of Florida
Gainesville Public
43Not reported
8Florida Southern College
Lakeland Private not-for-profit
39$26,616
9Jacksonville University
Jacksonville Private not-for-profit
34Not reported
10University of West Florida
Pensacola Public
31$25,299
Show the other 6 Florida colleges offering Ecology
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Florida Institute of TechnologyMelbournePrivate not-for-profit30
Rollins CollegeWinter ParkPrivate not-for-profit8
Stetson UniversityDeLandPrivate not-for-profit8
University of Central FloridaOrlandoPublic6
Ave Maria UniversityAve MariaPrivate not-for-profit5
Barry UniversityMiamiPrivate not-for-profit2

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Biological Technicians (SOC 19-4021).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+3.5%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~9,100
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$52,000
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingScienceActive ListeningActive LearningWriting

What Biological Technicians earn in Florida

Jobs in Florida
3,170
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$52,420
median $48,700
Best-paying metro
$63,100
Port St. Lucie, FL

Related careers

Biological Technicians
$52,420 avg · 3,170 jobs
Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary
$66,170 avg · 2,020 jobs
Biological Scientists, All Other
$85,540 avg · 1,920 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Ecology programs in Florida.

Which Florida colleges award the most Ecology degrees?+

University of Miami (233 graduates a year), Eckerd College (111 graduates a year) and University of South Florida (60 graduates a year) award the most Ecology degrees in Florida, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 16 Florida colleges offer Ecology.

What is the best college for Ecology in Florida?+

By graduate earnings, Nova Southeastern University leads among bachelor's Ecology programs in Florida, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $31,114, College Scorecard. The University of Tampa and Florida Southern College follow. By degrees awarded, University of Miami is the largest, with 233 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Ecology program in Florida has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Nova Southeastern University tops the list at $31,114. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Biological Technicians earn in Florida?+

The average annual wage for Biological Technicians in Florida is $52,420 (median $48,700), across about 3,170 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Ecology program?+

The Ecology program, formally known as Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology, is a comprehensive study within the Biological and Biomedical Sciences field. This program is designed for students interested in understanding…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop reading comprehension, critical thinking, science, active listening, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Biological Technicians?+

The national job outlook is about +3.5% growth with around 9,100 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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