Best institutions to study Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the relationships and interactions across levels of biological organization--genes and genomes, organisms, species, and ecosystems--and how these change over time, including the origins and history of species, the processes by which biodiversity has evolved, and the ecological context in which this evolution takes place.
42 U.S. institutions graduated 879 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 26.1310, a specialization of Ecology (CIP 26.13), and leads most directly to the Conservation Scientists occupation (BLS SOC 19-1031).
About Ecology and Evolutionary Biology programs
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the relationships and interactions across levels of biological organization--genes and genomes, organisms, species, and ecosystems--and how these change over time, including the origins and history of species, the processes by which biodiversity has evolved, and the ecological context in which this evolution takes place. Includes instruction in animal, plant, population, functional, evolutionary, and ecosystem ecology; ecological and evolutionary genetics; molecular evolution; population and conservation biology; animal and plant diversity; biometry; and scientific and research ethics.
See also: 26.1301 - Ecology., 26.1303 - Evolutionary Biology.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology program focuses on the scientific study of relationships and interactions across various biological levels, including genes, organisms, species, and ecosystems. This program is ideal for students interested in understanding how these elements change over time, the origins of species, and the ecological context of evolution.
Students will gain knowledge in areas such as animal and plant ecology, evolutionary genetics, conservation biology, and ecosystem dynamics. Core skills developed include critical thinking, scientific writing, and effective communication, equipping graduates for various roles in biological sciences.
Credentials awarded
What Ecology and Evolutionary Biology graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Bachelor's degree701 graduates / yr · 28 institutions80%
- Doctor's degree - research/scholarship102 graduates / yr · 18 institutions12%
- Master's degree75 graduates / yr · 15 institutions8.5%
- Post-master's certificate1 graduates / yr · 1 institution0.1%
Graduates over time
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 399 |
| 2013 | 420 |
| 2014 | 489 |
| 2015 | 478 |
| 2016 | 521 |
| 2017 | 585 |
| 2018 | 603 |
| 2019 | 656 |
| 2020 | 660 |
| 2021 | 657 |
| 2022 | 697 |
| 2023 | 756 |
| 2024 | 798 |
| 2025 | 879 |
Top 42 institutions for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, ranked by graduates
Graduates (IPEDS completions), 2024–25. Award levels show which credentials each institution confers in this specialization.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Field earnings* (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, COPublicBachelor'sDoctoralMaster's | 190 | 74% | — | $37,184 |
| 2 | University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CAPublicBachelor's | 69 | 75% | — | $25,810 |
| 3 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MIPublicBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral | 65 | 93% | — | $22,844 |
| 4 | University of California - Davis Davis, CAPublicBachelor's | 52 | 86% | — | $32,161 |
| 5 | University of Kansas Lawrence, KSPublicBachelor'sDoctoralMaster's | 42 | 69% | — | — |
| 6 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZPublicBachelor'sDoctoralMaster's | 38 | 68% | — | — |
| 7 | Princeton University Princeton, NJPrivate not-for-profitBachelor'sDoctoralMaster's | 38 | 98% | $13,729 | $53,038 |
| 8 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZPublicBachelor's | 37 | 61% | — | — |
| 9 | University of California - Irvine Irvine, CAPublicMaster'sDoctoral | 36 | 87% | — | — |
| 10 | The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TXPublicBachelor'sDoctoral | 33 | 50% | — | — |
| 11 | Colorado College Colorado Springs, COPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 32 | 88% | $23,510 | — |
| 12 | Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MIPublicBachelor's | 25 | 59% | — | — |
| 13 | Northeastern University Boston, MAPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 23 | 91% | $18,925 | — |
| 14 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PAPublicBachelor's | 22 | 85% | — | — |
| 15 | Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MNPublicBachelor's | 14 | 40% | — | $24,862 |
| 16 | Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, INPublicBachelor's | 14 | 83% | — | — |
| 17 | Brigham Young University Provo, UTPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 13 | 81% | $13,712 | $24,143 |
| 18 | University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, ILPublicDoctoralMaster's | 11 | 85% | — | — |
| 19 | Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, INPublicDoctoralMaster's | 11 | 80% | — | — |
| 20 | Michigan Technological University Houghton, MIPublicBachelor's | 11 | 68% | — | — |
| 21 | Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MIPublicMaster's | 10 | 46% | — | — |
| 22 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TXPublicDoctoralMaster's | 9 | 89% | — | — |
| 23 | Florida Southern College Lakeland, FLPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 8 | 71% | $28,325 | $26,616 |
| 24 | Cornell College Mount Vernon, IAPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 8 | 62% | $23,073 | — |
| 25 | Temple University Philadelphia, PAPublicBachelor's | 8 | 75% | — | — |
| 26 | Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MIPublicBachelor's | 7 | 48% | — | — |
| 27 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TXPublicDoctoralMaster's | 6 | 84% | — | $27,770 |
| 28 | San Jose State University San Jose, CAPublicBachelor's | 5 | 69% | — | — |
| 29 | Iowa State University Ames, IAPublicDoctoralMaster's | 5 | 75% | — | $29,842 |
| 30 | University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MAPublicBachelor's | 5 | 52% | — | — |
| 31 | Lindenwood University Saint Charles, MOPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 5 | 49% | $17,436 | — |
| 32 | Kent State University at Kent Kent, OHPublicMaster'sDoctoral | 4 | 64% | — | — |
| 33 | University of Oklahoma - Norman Campus Norman, OKPublicDoctoral | 4 | 75% | — | — |
| 34 | Brown University Providence, RIPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sDoctoral | 4 | 96% | $14,644 | — |
| 35 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TNPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 4 | 94% | $14,854 | — |
| 36 | Colby College Waterville, MEPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 2 | 89% | $15,696 | — |
| 37 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PAPrivate not-for-profitDoctoral | 2 | 78% | $36,004 | — |
| 38 | Rice University Houston, TXPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sDoctoral | 2 | 95% | $13,264 | — |
| 39 | Trinity University San Antonio, TXPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 2 | 84% | $20,327 | — |
| 40 | Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead, MNPublicBachelor's | 1 | 57% | — | — |
| 41 | The University of Montana Missoula, MTPublicDoctoral | 1 | 48% | — | — |
| 42 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NYPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 1 | 96% | $15,315 | — |
* Median earnings 1 year after graduation for the broader Ecology field (CIP 26.13) at these institutions; College Scorecard does not publish earnings at the 6-digit level.
Offered in 23 states
Where Ecology and Evolutionary Biology graduates come from. Each state links to all Ecology programs offered there.
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 19-1031, Conservation Scientists, and its national outlook.
Graduates of this program often pursue careers as Conservation Scientists, with an average annual wage of $67,950. The job outlook for related fields is about as fast as average, with approximately 2,500 annual openings and a typical education requirement of a Bachelor's degree.
Top-paying metros
Career pathways for CIP 26.1310
The occupations the NCES crosswalk maps this 6-digit code to, with BLS pay and 10-year outlook.
| Occupation | US median pay | Growth | Openings / yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservation Scientistsprimary SOC 19-1031 | $73,010 | +3.4% About as fast as average | ~2,500 | Bachelor's degree |
Natural Sciences Managers SOC 11-9121 | $167,220 | +3.7% About as fast as average | ~8,500 | Bachelor's degree |
Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary SOC 25-1042 | $84,620 | +7.3% Faster than average | ~5,400 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Biological Scientists, All Other SOC 19-1029 | $98,920 | +1.2% Little or no change | ~4,800 | Bachelor's degree |
Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary SOC 25-1053 | $94,980 | +2.9% About as fast as average | ~700 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Related careers
Skills & knowledge in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this specialization most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
Abilities that matter most
Day-to-day work activities
What graduates do on the job
- Apply principles of specialized fields of science, such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, or agriculture, to achieve conservation objectives.
- Plan soil management or conservation practices, such as crop rotation, reforestation, permanent vegetation, contour plowing, or terracing, to maintain soil or conserve water.
- Monitor projects during or after construction to ensure projects conform to design specifications.
- Advise land users, such as farmers or ranchers, on plans, problems, or alternative conservation solutions.
- Implement soil or water management techniques, such as nutrient management, erosion control, buffers, or filter strips, in accordance with conservation plans.
- Compute design specifications for implementation of conservation practices, using survey or field information, technical guides or engineering manuals.
Tools and technology used
Other Ecology specializations
The 11 other 6-digit CIP codes under Ecology (CIP 26.13).
- EpidemiologyCIP 26.13093,001 graduates / yr102 institutions
- Marine Biology and Biological OceanographyCIP 26.13022,636 graduates / yr84 institutions
- EcologyCIP 26.13011,166 graduates / yr67 institutions
- Environmental BiologyCIP 26.1305481 graduates / yr51 institutions
- Conservation BiologyCIP 26.1307405 graduates / yr37 institutions
- EcologyCIP 26.1399344 graduates / yr17 institutions
- Epidemiology and BiostatisticsCIP 26.1311248 graduates / yr19 institutions
- Evolutionary BiologyCIP 26.1303192 graduates / yr14 institutions
- Aquatic Biology/CIP 26.1304
Limnology partial data126 graduates / yr9 institutions - Systematic Biology/CIP 26.1308
Biological Systematics limited data24 graduates / yr2 institutions - Population BiologyCIP 26.1306partial data10 graduates / yr3 institutions
Common questions
What types of degrees can I earn in this program?+
You can earn a Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, Doctor's degree, or a Post-master's certificate.
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop skills in critical thinking, scientific writing, and effective communication.
What careers can I pursue with this degree?+
You can work as a Conservation Scientist, Natural Sciences Manager, or Biological Science Teacher, among others.
What is the job outlook for graduates?+
The job outlook is about as fast as average, with approximately 2,500 annual openings.
What is the CIP code for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology?+
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology is CIP 26.1310 in the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020), a 6-digit specialization within Ecology (CIP 26.13). NCES defines it as: A program that focuses on the scientific study of the relationships and interactions across levels of biological organization--genes and genomes, organisms, species, and ecosystems--and how these change over time, including the origins and history of species, the processes by which biodiversity has evolved, and the ecological context in which this evolution takes place. Includes instruction in animal, plant, population, functional, evolutionary, and ecosystem ecology; ecological and evolutionary genetics; molecular evolution; population and conservation biology; animal and plant diversity; biometry; and scientific and research ethics.
How many institutions offer Ecology and Evolutionary Biology programs?+
42 U.S. institutions reported Ecology and Evolutionary Biology graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 23 states, awarding 879 credentials in the year. That is 9.2% of all Ecology graduates.
How much do Ecology and Evolutionary Biology graduates earn?+
Earnings are not published at the 6-digit CIP level by any federal source. The Conservation Scientists occupation, which Ecology and Evolutionary Biology most directly leads to, pays a median of $73,010 a year nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025), and graduates of the broader Ecology field report median earnings of $27,770 one year after graduation (College Scorecard).
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.
Program definitions are from the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020). Skills, knowledge, abilities, work activities, tools, and job zones are from the O*NET database by the U.S. Department of Labor, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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