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2025 Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools

119 Colleges in the United States
7,935 Ecology Degrees Awarded
$43,540 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #103 most popular degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 119 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for ecology, evolution & systematics biology students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 7,935 degrees in ecology, evolution & systematics biology annually.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology School

Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools Your choice of ecology, evolution & systematics biology school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Ecology
Bachelor's Degrees in Ecology
Master's Degrees in Ecology
Doctor's Degrees in Ecology

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools list to help you make the college decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the ecology degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

23 Top Schools in Ecology

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Ecology Degrees Awarded
21.2% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in ecology, evolution & systematics biology needs to take a look at University of Pennsylvania. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 33 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania earn a boost of about $142,334 over the typical income of ecology, evolution & systematics biology graduates.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from University of Pennsylvania

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
269 Ecology Degrees Awarded
6.7% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Columbia University in the City of New York if you wish to pursue a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 269 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the ecology, evolution & systematics biology degree program at Columbia University in the City of New York get $32,105 above the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from Columbia University in the City of New York

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In NY
14.3% Growth in Graduates

Cornell University is a great decision for students interested in a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology. Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were approximately 7 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from Cornell University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
100 Ecology Degrees Awarded
8.0% Growth in Graduates

Johns Hopkins University is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology. Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were approximately 100 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent year we have data available. Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University receive an earnings boost of approximately $43,651 over the typical income of ecology, evolution & systematics biology graduates.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from Johns Hopkins University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
141 Ecology Degrees Awarded
$36,212 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 50 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were roughly 141 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the ecology program earn about $36,212 for their early career.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In CA

USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 8 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from University of Southern California

7
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
209 Ecology Degrees Awarded
19.1% Growth in Graduates

Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Boston U is a great university overall.

There were about 209 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent year we have data available. Those ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who get their degree from Boston University earn $26,939 more than the typical ecology grad.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from Boston University

8
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In NC

Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were approximately 12 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from Duke University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
221 Ecology Degrees Awarded
16.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 221 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the ecology program earn an average of $33,955 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from Texas A&M University - College Station

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
96 Ecology Degrees Awarded
$29,258 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 96 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the ecology program make an average of $29,258 for their early career.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from University of California - Santa Barbara

11
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
105 Ecology Degrees Awarded
11.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were about 105 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the ecology, evolution & systematics biology program at Yale University earn $14,468 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from Yale University

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
159 Ecology Degrees Awarded
10.1% Growth in Graduates

U-M is a very large public university located in the city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were about 159 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the ecology, evolution & systematics biology degree program at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor earn $5,227 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
130 Ecology Degrees Awarded
29.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 37 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were roughly 130 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, ecology degree recipients usually make about $29,842 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from Iowa State University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
87 Ecology Degrees Awarded
1.1% Growth in Graduates

GWU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. This university ranks 2nd out of 7 colleges for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were approximately 87 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available. Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology degree recipients from George Washington University earn a boost of about $29,419 over the typical income of ecology, evolution & systematics biology majors.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from George Washington University

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MO
40.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #21 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 25 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from Washington University in St Louis

16
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Ecology Degrees Awarded
1.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 56 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the ecology program report average early career wages of $41,024.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from New York University

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In OH
31 Ecology Degrees Awarded

Ohio State is a very large public university located in the large city of Columbus. This university ranks 1st out of 91 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were roughly 31 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from Ohio State University - Main Campus

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Ecology Degrees Awarded
$18,728 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 54 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the ecology program earn an average of $18,728 for their early career.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from University of California - Los Angeles

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
88 Ecology Degrees Awarded
$48,902 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 88 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Those ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who get their degree from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities receive $5,362 more than the average ecology grad.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 Ecology Degrees Awarded
28.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were roughly 70 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. After graduation, ecology degree recipients typically make an average of $28,856 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from University of Wisconsin - Madison

21
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In CA

Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were about 30 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from Stanford University

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IL
63.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 11 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
138 Ecology Degrees Awarded
$25,810 Median Starting Salary

UC Santa Cruz is a large public university located in the city of Santa Cruz. This university ranks 13th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 138 ecology, evolution & systematics biology students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the ecology program earn about $25,810 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in ecology, evolution & systematics biology from University of California - Santa Cruz

Rest of the Top Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology students that almost earned our Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools award.

Rank College Location
24 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
25 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
26 Emory University Atlanta, GA
27 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
28 University of Georgia Athens, GA
29 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
30 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
31 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
32 Tufts University Medford, MA
33 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
34 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA
35 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
36 Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN
37 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
38 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
39 University of Delaware Newark, DE

Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology by Region

View the Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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One of 14 majors within the Biological & Biomedical Sciences area of study, Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology has other similar majors worth exploring.

Ecology Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Epidemiology 2,601
Marine Biology 1,994
Ecology 1,028
Evolutionary Biology 772
Environmental Biology 487
Conservation Biology 349
Other Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology 284
Evolutionary Biology 211
Aquatic Biology/Limnology 122
Epidemiology and Biostatistics 48

View All Ecology Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Ecology

Related Major Annual Graduates
General Biology 106,032
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology 14,558
Neurobiology & Neurosciences 12,616
Physiology & Pathology Sciences 9,568
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences 6,440
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology 4,834
Biotechnology 4,245
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other) 4,225
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics 3,070
Zoology 3,067

View All Ecology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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