2026 Best Ecology Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Ecology programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their ecology programs.

College Factual analyzed 17 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best ecology schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Ecology Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Best Schools for Ecology in the Great Lakes Region

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

1

Ohio State University Main Campus
Columbus, OH

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

16 Ecology Degrees Awarded

$58,088 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is Ohio State University Main Campus, our #1 school for ecology. Set in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 88%. There were roughly 16 ecology students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State University Main Campus in the most recent data year. Ecology graduates of Ohio State University Main Campus earn a median of $58,088 early in their careers. Ohio State University Main Campus graduates carry a median of $22,053 in student loans. See the full ecology program report for Ohio State University Main Campus

2

University Of Chicago
Chicago, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

11 Ecology Degrees Awarded

$81,002 Median Starting Salary

Students looking for a strong ecology program will find one at University Of Chicago, which ranked #2. University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. About 96% of students finish within six years. University Of Chicago awarded about 11 ecology degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, ecology degree recipients from University Of Chicago generally make around $81,002. University Of Chicago graduates carry a median of $15,854 in student loans. More information about a degree in ecology from University Of Chicago

Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 · 17 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.