Best Ecology Programs in the South (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Ecology Programs in the United States
This page ranks 19 Ecology programs in the South by median earnings of Ecology graduates four years after completing. University of Maryland-College Park leads the list with median earnings of $65,639 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $65,639 to $20,824, with a median of $45,287. For 3 of the 19 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 63% of the list, or 12 of the 19 schools. Texas A&M University-College Station ranks 25th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the best on the page. University of West Florida posts the lowest average net price, at $9,364.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Maryland-College Park · College Park, MD | $65,639 | $15,678 | $2,962 | 44.8% |
| University of Maryland-College Park ranks 1st on this list, reporting $65,639 in median earnings for its Ecology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | University of South Carolina-Columbia · Columbia, SC | $55,093 | $22,811 | $12,634 | 60.2% |
| Median earnings of $55,093 for Ecology graduates four years after completing coincide with an admission rate of 60% at University of South Carolina-Columbia. | |||||
| 3 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus · Stillwater, OK | $53,126 | $17,447 | $12,243 | 75.0% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $20,500 in federal loans at Oklahoma State University-Main Campus, which reports $53,126 for its Ecology completers four years after graduating. | |||||
| 4 | University of Delaware · Newark, DE | $52,110 | $17,799 | $10,901 | 70.6% |
| University of Delaware admits 71% of applicants and shows median earnings of $52,110 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of North Texas · Denton, TX | $51,368 | $15,649 | $12,311 | 72.2% |
| An average net price of $15,649 at University of North Texas sits alongside Ecology earnings of $51,368 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of Georgia · Athens, GA | $49,436 | $13,936 | $8,085 | 37.7% |
| University of Georgia ranks 95th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Ecology graduates earn a median of $49,436 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Eckerd College · Saint Petersburg, FL | $48,631 | $38,071 | $29,615 | 75.8% |
| Eckerd College, a private nonprofit institution, reports $48,631 in median earnings for its Ecology graduates four years after completing and a school-wide median federal debt of $27,000. | |||||
| 8 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $46,453 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station holds the strongest Azimuth composite rank on the page at 25th among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Ecology graduates earn a median of $46,453 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Coastal Carolina University · Conway, SC | $45,323 | $13,966 | $9,563 | 75.3% |
| With 117 graduates in the earnings cohort, Coastal Carolina University lists median earnings of $45,323 for its Ecology completers four years after graduating. | |||||
| 10 | Nova Southeastern University · Fort Lauderdale, FL | $45,287 | $30,371 | $26,603 | 73.2% |
| Nova Southeastern University reports median earnings of $45,287 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing, and its average net price is $30,371. | |||||
| 11 | The University of Tampa · Tampa, FL | $43,683 | $36,211 | $30,011 | 40.3% |
| The University of Tampa admits 40% of applicants and records median earnings of $43,683 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Florida Southern College · Lakeland, FL | $43,549 | $28,551 | $23,624 | 64.4% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $25,000 in federal loans at Florida Southern College, which shows Ecology earnings of $43,549 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of Miami · Coral Gables, FL | $42,932 | $37,244 | $15,978 | 18.9% |
| University of Miami admits 19% of applicants and reports median earnings of $42,932 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | College of Charleston · Charleston, SC | $42,466 | $18,960 | $12,133 | 60.0% |
| College of Charleston ranks 14th on this list, with an average net price of $18,960 and a median of $42,466 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | University of North Carolina Wilmington · Wilmington, NC | $39,812 | $20,109 | $10,778 | 64.2% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of North Carolina Wilmington left with a median of $19,500 in federal loans, while its Ecology completers earned a median of $39,812 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | University of Southern Mississippi · Hattiesburg, MS | $36,771 | $21,708 | $19,867 | 99.1% |
| University of Southern Mississippi posts an admission rate of 99% and an average net price of $21,708, alongside median earnings of $36,771 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Wingate University · Wingate, NC | $33,993 | $20,748 | $18,772 | 91.1% |
| A private nonprofit university in Wingate, Wingate University reports median earnings of $33,993 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $20,748. | |||||
| 18 | University of West Florida · Pensacola, FL | $24,808 | $9,364 | $4,815 | 58.2% |
| University of West Florida carries the lowest average net price on the page at $9,364, and its Ecology graduates earned a median of $24,808 four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | Florida Institute of Technology · Melbourne, FL | $20,824 | $35,639 | $29,108 | 57.7% |
| Florida Institute of Technology ranks 778th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Ecology graduates earned a median of $20,824 four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Ecology graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the South appear. The figure is the median for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 3 of the 19 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from University of Maryland-College Park to the lowest-ranked program is $44,815, and the gap between University of Maryland-College Park and University of South Carolina-Columbia is $10,546.
Related rankings
- Best Ecology Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the South
- Best Ecology Programs in the Northeast
- Best Ecology Programs in the Midwest
- Best Ecology Programs in the West
- Biological Sciences Colleges in the South for Social Mobility
- Biological Sciences Colleges in the South