Ecology & Plant Biology
What you'll do in college
This category focuses on the "big picture" of life on Earth—how organisms interact with each other and their physical surroundings. Coursework spans ecosystem dynamics, plant sciences, conservation genetics, and population modeling. You will spend significant time outside of the traditional classroom, engaging in fieldwork, measuring environmental variables, and learning to use tools like Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and statistical software to track environmental changes.
What you'll do after college
Graduates are uniquely equipped to tackle complex environmental challenges. Many find careers as ecologists, environmental consultants, conservation scientists, or botanists. Typical employers include government agencies (like the EPA or the National Park Service), conservation nonprofits, and private consulting firms. The work ranges from assessing the environmental impact of new developments to managing protected habitats and developing sustainable agricultural practices.
Famous graduates
- Rachel Carson — Marine biologist and conservationist whose work sparked the modern environmental movement; B.A. in Biology from Pennsylvania College for Women
- Robin Wall Kimmerer — Botanist, ecologist, and author of ''Braiding Sweetgrass''; B.S. in Botany from SUNY-ESF
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
By SAT median
Earnings vs. selectivity rank
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ecology & Plant Biology | 151 | 2,675 | 37% / 63% | 2% | $56,723 |
| Ecology | 31 | 679 | 38% / 62% | 1% | $53,530 |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | 34 | 653 | 40% / 60% | 1% | $60,346 |
| Environmental Biology | 38 | 353 | 37% / 63% | 2% | $50,877 |
| Conservation Biology | 23 | 227 | 32% / 68% | 1% | $50,246 |
| Botany | 21 | 225 | 34% / 66% | 2% | $42,342 |
| Plant Biology | 9 | 103 | 38% / 62% | 3% | $61,357 |
| Evolution and Ecology | 1 | 85 | 27% / 73% | 1% | $52,397 |
| Organismic and Evolutionary Biology | 1 | 73 | 38% / 62% | 8% | $133,954 |
| Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution | 1 | 46 | 28% / 72% | 4% | $54,223 |
| Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity | 1 | 46 | 43% / 57% | 2% | $64,106 |
| Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology | 1 | 35 | 31% / 69% | 3% | $43,916 |
| Evolution, Ecology and Biodiversity | 1 | 30 | 23% / 77% | 17% | $63,466 |
| Human Ecology | 1 | 26 | 8% / 92% | 0% | $46,529 |
| Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology | 2 | 21 | 24% / 76% | 10% | |
| Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology | 1 | 21 | 24% / 76% | 0% | $105,598 |
| Ecology and Conservation Biology | 1 | 15 | 73% / 27% | 0% | $62,393 |
| Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Sciences | 1 | 10 | 50% / 50% | 10% | |
| Plant Biotechnology | 1 | 10 | 20% / 80% | 0% | |
| Plant Genetics | 1 | 10 | 40% / 60% | 0% | |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology | 2 | 3 | 33% / 67% | 0% | |
| Agroecology | 1 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | |
| Plant Pathology/Phytopathology | 1 | 2 | 100% / 0% | 0% |