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# Best Zoology Programs in the Midwest (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Regional list from [Best Zoology Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-zoology-programs/)

This page ranks the 12 Zoology programs in the Midwest with a published earnings cohort. Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Zoology graduates four years after completing, highest first.

Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. [Ohio University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-university-main-campus/majors/) leads the list at $55,352, followed by [University of Wisconsin-Madison](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/majors/) at $50,080 and [Kansas State University](/school/kansas-state-university/majors/) at $48,908.

Across the listed programs, the median earnings of graduates after completing range from $55,352 to $20,140, with a median of $43,045. For 2 of the 12 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

Public institutions account for 10 of the 12 programs, and private nonprofits for 2. University of Michigan-Flint posts the lowest average net price on the list at $7,007.

Michigan State University ranks 69th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

12 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Ohio University-Main Campus · Athens, OH | $55,352 | $21,637 | $15,673 | 85.0% |
|  | [Ohio University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-university-main-campus/majors/) reports [$55,352 in median earnings](/school/ohio-university-main-campus/outcomes/) for its Zoology graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 167. |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $50,080 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
|  | [University of Wisconsin-Madison](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/majors/) [admits 45% of applicants](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/admissions/) and shows median federal debt of $23,250 among Zoology completers who borrowed. |
| 3 | Kansas State University · Manhattan, KS | $48,908 | $19,406 | $13,178 | 81.7% |
|  | [Kansas State University](/school/kansas-state-university/majors/) [ranks 342nd on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/kansas-state-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows an average net price of $19,406. |
| 4 | Indiana University-Bloomington · Bloomington, IN | $48,161 | $16,264 | $6,324 | 78.2% |
|  | [Indiana University-Bloomington](/school/indiana-university-bloomington/majors/) posts [median earnings of $48,161](/school/indiana-university-bloomington/outcomes/) for its Zoology graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $6,324 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 5 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $45,501 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
|  | [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) shows [median federal debt of $21,375](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/cost/) among Zoology completers who borrowed and reports median earnings of $45,501 four years after completing. |
| 6 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $43,207 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
|  | [Southern Illinois University-Carbondale](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/majors/) reports [median earnings of $43,207](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/outcomes/) for its Zoology graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 29. |
| 7 | Miami University-Oxford · Oxford, OH | $42,883 | $28,384 | $16,015 | 75.4% |
|  | [Miami University-Oxford](/school/miami-university-oxford/majors/) shows an [average net price of $28,384](/school/miami-university-oxford/cost/) and its Zoology graduates four years after completing earned a median of $42,883. |
| 8 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $41,768 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
|  | [Michigan State University](/school/michigan-state-university/majors/) [ranks 69th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/michigan-state-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and admits 85% of applicants. |
| 9 | Carroll University · Waukesha, WI | $39,677 | $15,193 | $15,718 | 66.8% |
|  | [Carroll University](/school/carroll-university/majors/), a private nonprofit university in Waukesha, reports [median earnings of $39,677](/school/carroll-university/outcomes/) for its Zoology graduates four years after completing. |
| 10 | Kent State University at Kent · Kent, OH | $35,875 | $20,787 | $15,280 | 86.3% |
|  | [Kent State University at Kent](/school/kent-state-university-at-kent/majors/) shows [median federal debt of $25,000](/school/kent-state-university-at-kent/cost/) among Zoology completers who borrowed and reports an average net price of $20,787. |
| 11 | University of Michigan-Flint · Flint, MI | $25,194 | $7,007 | $1,517 | 70.5% |
|  | [University of Michigan-Flint](/school/university-of-michigan-flint/majors/) reports [median earnings of $25,194](/school/university-of-michigan-flint/outcomes/) for its Zoology graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 18. |
| 12 | Ohio Wesleyan University · Delaware, OH | $20,140 | $20,897 | $15,412 | 55.6% |
|  | Ohio Wesleyan University ranks 1157th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and admits 56% of applicants. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Zoology graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figures cover federally aided completers of Zoology who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 2 of the 12 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 Ohio University-Main Campus to the lowest-ranked program is $35,212, and the gap between Ohio University-Main Campus and University of Wisconsin-Madison is $5,272.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/)
-   Biological Sciences Colleges in the Midwest for Social Mobility
-   Biological Sciences Colleges in the Midwest