by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2020-2021, population biology was the 1,371 most popular major nationwide with 15 degrees awarded. This is a difference of 5 over the prior year, a growth of 33.3%.
This year's Best Population Biology Schools ranking compares 1 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of population biology programs later in this article.
When studying Population Biology, you’ll learn that using scientific rules and methods to solve problems will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs. Required skills include understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents and using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Once you obtain your degree, additional population biology certifications required to pursue a career in this field.
There are various different levels of population biology degrees. You can get anything from a in population biology to the highest population biology degree, a . Depending on the population biology degree you choose, obtaining your diploma can take anwhere from 1 to 4+ years.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to population biology, with approximately 30.4% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to population biology tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Post-Doctoral Training | 30.4% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 30.4% |
| Doctoral Degree | 21.7% |
| Master’s Degree | 13.0% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 4.4% |
52.2% of population biology workers have at least a doctorate. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in population biology have received.
This of course varies depending on which population biology career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your population biology degree? Population Biology careers are expected to grow 8.0% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to population biology.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Scientists | 41,800 | 8.0% |
As you might expect, salaries for population biology graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for population biology graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers population biology grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Biological Scientists | $83,600 |
With over 4 different population biology degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased population biology school rankings to help you with this.
One of 11 majors within the Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology area of study, Population Biology has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Epidemiology | 2,305 |
| Marine Biology | 1,835 |
| Ecology | 1,060 |
| Evolutionary Biology | 697 |
| Environmental Biology | 466 |
Image Credit: By Ernst Haeckel under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
