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Best Schools for Ecology in California
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the ecology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Ecology
Our analysis ranked University Of California Riverside the best school in the country for a degree in ecology. This very large public university is located in the city of Riverside. About 76% of students finish within six years. University Of California Riverside awarded about 15 ecology degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, ecology degree recipients from University Of California Riverside generally make around $40,040. University Of California Riverside graduates carry a median of $19,187 in student loans.
More information about a degree in ecology from University Of California Riverside
University Of California Los Angeles is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in ecology, landing the #2 spot this year. This very large public university is located in the city of Los Angeles. University Of California Los Angeles graduates 93% of students within six years. University Of California Los Angeles awarded about 34 ecology degrees in the most recent data year. Ecology graduates of University Of California Los Angeles earn a median of $18,728 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $17,417 to complete this degree.
Get the full ecology details for University Of California Los Angeles
University Of California Santa Cruz came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best ecology schools. Located in the city of Santa Cruz, University Of California Santa Cruz is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 75%. There were roughly 71 ecology students who graduated with this degree at University Of California Santa Cruz in the most recent data year. Graduates of the ecology program make about $25,810 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $18,887.
More information about a degree in ecology from University Of California Santa Cruz
University Of California Davis came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best ecology schools. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Davis. Roughly 86% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 24 ecology students who graduated with this degree at University Of California Davis in the most recent data year. Students who receive their ecology degree from University Of California Davis earn around $32,161 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $19,951 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in ecology from University Of California Davis
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 6 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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