Best Ecology Programs in the Midwest (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Ecology Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 9 Ecology programs in the Midwest by median earnings of Ecology graduates four years after completing, highest first. Michigan State University leads the list at $55,159, followed by University of Dayton at $53,448 and University of Michigan-Ann Arbor at $52,390.
Across the listed programs, median earnings range from $55,159 to $24,267, with a median of $49,602. For 1 of the 9 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 8 of the 9 programs, with 1 private nonprofit program completing the list. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally, and it also posts the lowest average net price on the page at $13,138.
Saint Cloud State University reports the highest admission rate, admitting 95% of applicants.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $55,159 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
| Michigan State University reports median earnings of $55,159 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 31. | |||||
| 2 | University of Dayton · Dayton, OH | $53,448 | $29,533 | $21,736 | 65.5% |
| A private nonprofit university in Dayton, University of Dayton shows an average net price of $29,533 and a median earnings figure of $53,448 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $52,390 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor admits 16% of applicants and ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 4 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $50,106 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $19,500 in federal loans at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, which ranks 4th on this list. | |||||
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $49,602 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison posts median earnings of $49,602 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 64. | |||||
| 6 | Bemidji State University · Bemidji, MN | $45,822 | $15,261 | $10,073 | 56.0% |
| Bemidji State University has an average net price of $10,073 for families earning under $30,000 and a school-wide median federal debt of $19,750 across all borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 7 | Saint Cloud State University · Saint Cloud, MN | $44,386 | $13,529 | $8,909 | 94.8% |
| Saint Cloud State University ranks 619th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an admission rate of 95%. | |||||
| 8 | Iowa State University · Ames, IA | $39,143 | $18,589 | $10,582 | 88.7% |
| Iowa State University reports median earnings of $39,143 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing, alongside a cohort of 118. | |||||
| 9 | Northwest Missouri State University · Maryville, MO | $24,267 | $16,244 | $13,176 | 86.1% |
| Northwest Missouri State University shows an average net price of $16,244 and median earnings of $24,267 four years after completing, with a cohort of 14. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Ecology graduates four years after completing, or two years for programs that report only a two-year figure, highest first. The figure is the median for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured after completing. For 1 of the 9 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for cost or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between Michigan State University and University of Dayton is $1,711, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom is $30,892.
Related rankings
- Best Ecology Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the Midwest
- Best Ecology Programs in the Northeast
- Best Ecology Programs in the South
- Best Ecology Programs in the West
- Biological Sciences Colleges in the Midwest for Social Mobility
- Biological Sciences Colleges in the Midwest