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# Best Ecology Programs in the United States (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

This page ranks 63 Ecology programs in the United States by median earnings of Ecology graduates four years after completing, highest first. [University of Maryland-College Park](/school/university-of-maryland-college-park/majors/) leads the list with median earnings of $65,639 four years after completing.

Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $65,639 to $19,227, with a median of $48,446. For 12 of the 63 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

Public institutions account for 42 of the programs and private nonprofits for 21. Princeton University posts the lowest average net price on the list at $6,128.

University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

Top 25 of 63 schools in list order

| 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](/school/university-of-maryland-college-park/majors/) reports [$65,639 in median earnings](/school/university-of-maryland-college-park/outcomes/) of Ecology graduates four years after completing alongside an average net price of $15,678. |
| 2 | New York University · New York, NY | $65,406 | $37,050 | $16,977 | 9.2% |
|  | [New York University](/school/new-york-university/majors/), a private nonprofit university in New York, ranks 2nd on this list with [median earnings of $65,406](/school/new-york-university/outcomes/) four years after completing. |
| 3 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $63,525 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
|  | With an [admission rate of 75%](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona/admissions/), [California State Polytechnic University-Pomona](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona/majors/) posts median earnings of $63,525 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing. |
| 4 | Connecticut College · New London, CT | $62,925 | $36,175 | $13,341 | 37.0% |
|  | Connecticut College ranks 1083rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows median federal debt of $25,979 among Ecology completers who borrowed. |
| 5 | Princeton University · Princeton, NJ | $62,344 | $6,128 | $41 | 4.6% |
|  | [Princeton University](/school/princeton-university/majors/) carries an [average net price of $6,128](/school/princeton-university/cost/) and reports median earnings of $62,344 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing. |
| 6 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $62,011 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
|  | [University of California-Davis](/school/university-of-california-davis/majors/) ranks 6th on this list, with a cohort of 31 graduates in the earnings cohort and [median earnings of $62,011](/school/university-of-california-davis/outcomes/) four years after completing. |
| 7 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | $61,078 | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
|  | [Brigham Young University](/school/brigham-young-university/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $10,419](/school/brigham-young-university/cost/) among Ecology completers who borrowed and median earnings of $61,078 four years after completing. |
| 8 | Boston University · Boston, MA | $57,967 | $24,402 | $9,500 | 11.1% |
|  | [Boston University](/school/boston-university/majors/) [admits 11% of applicants](/school/boston-university/admissions/) and its Ecology graduates earn a median of $57,967 four years after completing. |
| 9 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $55,588 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
|  | [California State University-Long Beach](/school/california-state-university-long-beach/majors/) [ranks 5th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/california-state-university-long-beach/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $10,440. |
| 10 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $55,159 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
|  | [Michigan State University](/school/michigan-state-university/majors/) shows [median earnings of $55,159](/school/michigan-state-university/outcomes/) for its Ecology graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $19,680. |
| 11 | University of South Carolina-Columbia · Columbia, SC | $55,093 | $22,811 | $12,634 | 60.2% |
|  | [University of South Carolina-Columbia](/school/university-of-south-carolina-columbia/majors/) ranks 11th on this list and reports [median federal debt of $18,965](/school/university-of-south-carolina-columbia/cost/) among Ecology completers who borrowed. |
| 12 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO | $54,370 | $21,279 | $13,259 | 88.5% |
|  | [Colorado State University-Fort Collins](/school/colorado-state-university-fort-collins/majors/) posts [median earnings of $54,370](/school/colorado-state-university-fort-collins/outcomes/) for its Ecology graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 89%. |
| 13 | Stony Brook University · Stony Brook, NY | $53,747 | $18,784 | $12,943 | 49.0% |
|  | [Stony Brook University](/school/stony-brook-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $53,747](/school/stony-brook-university/outcomes/) for its Ecology graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $12,943 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 14 | University of Dayton · Dayton, OH | $53,448 | $29,533 | $21,736 | 65.5% |
|  | A private nonprofit university in Dayton, [University of Dayton](/school/university-of-dayton/majors/) ranks 14th on this list and shows a [median federal debt of $23,000](/school/university-of-dayton/cost/) among Ecology completers who borrowed. |
| 15 | University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO | $53,429 | $25,346 | $14,231 | 78.1% |
|  | With 209 graduates in the earnings cohort, [University of Colorado Boulder](/school/university-of-colorado-boulder/majors/) posts [median earnings of $53,429](/school/university-of-colorado-boulder/outcomes/) four years after completing and an admission rate of 78%. |
| 16 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus · Stillwater, OK | $53,126 | $17,447 | $12,243 | 75.0% |
|  | [Oklahoma State University-Main Campus](/school/oklahoma-state-university-main-campus/majors/) [ranks 138th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/oklahoma-state-university-main-campus/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $53,126 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing. |
| 17 | University of Connecticut · Storrs, CT | $52,766 | $25,097 | $15,193 | 52.4% |
|  | Admitting 52% of applicants, [University of Connecticut](/school/university-of-connecticut/majors/) shows [median earnings of $52,766](/school/university-of-connecticut/outcomes/) for its Ecology graduates four years after completing. |
| 18 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $52,701 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
|  | [University of California-San Diego](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/majors/) holds the strongest Azimuth composite rank on the page, 1st among nonprofit four-year institutions, and reports [median earnings of $52,701](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/outcomes/) for its Ecology graduates four years after completing. |
| 19 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $52,390 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
|  | An [average net price of $1,043](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 coincides with median earnings of $52,390 for Ecology graduates four years after completing at [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/majors/). |
| 20 | University of Delaware · Newark, DE | $52,110 | $17,799 | $10,901 | 70.6% |
|  | [University of Delaware](/school/university-of-delaware/majors/) shows a [median federal debt of $19,500](/school/university-of-delaware/cost/) among Ecology completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $52,110 four years after completing. |
| 21 | Roger Williams University · Bristol, RI | $51,857 | $37,999 | $29,778 | 87.7% |
|  | Roger Williams University ranks 21st on this list, with median earnings of $51,857 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 88%. |
| 22 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $51,559 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
|  | Reporting an [average net price of $5,579](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/cost/) for families earning under $30,000, [University of California-Los Angeles](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/majors/) lists median earnings of $51,559 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing. |
| 23 | University of North Texas · Denton, TX | $51,368 | $15,649 | $12,311 | 72.2% |
|  | [University of North Texas](/school/university-of-north-texas/majors/) [ranks 41st on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-north-texas/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $51,368 for its Ecology graduates four years after completing. |
| 24 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $50,694 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
|  | A [median federal debt of $12,750](/school/university-of-california-santa-barbara/cost/) among Ecology completers who borrowed accompanies median earnings of $50,694 four years after completing at [University of California-Santa Barbara](/school/university-of-california-santa-barbara/majors/). |
| 25 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $50,106 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
|  | [University of Minnesota-Twin Cities](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/majors/) reports [$50,106 in median earnings](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/outcomes/) for its Ecology graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $16,778. |

Continue by region[Best Ecology Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-ecology-programs-in-the-midwest/)[Best Ecology Programs in the Northeast](/rankings/best-ecology-programs-in-the-northeast/)[Best Ecology Programs in the South](/rankings/best-ecology-programs-in-the-south/)[Best Ecology Programs in the West](/rankings/best-ecology-programs-in-the-west/)

## 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 United States appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after graduating. For 12 of the 63 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 range and median below cover the 63 schools with a published figure. At the top, University of Maryland-College Park reports $65,639 and New York University reports $65,406, a gap of just $233.

## Related rankings

-   Biological Sciences Colleges
-   Biological Sciences Colleges for Social Mobility