Majors
Best Colleges for Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management, by Earnings
52 of the colleges we track award a bachelor's degree in Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management, about 1,633 degrees a year. Across the 35 that report earnings, graduates make a median of $45,445 four years after finishing.
| Rank | College | State | Median earnings, 4 years out | Degrees a year | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valley City State University | ND | $69,799 | 14 | 99.1% |
| 2 | Stephen F Austin State University | TX | $56,437 | 5 | 94% |
| 3 | Auburn University | AL | $54,449 | 47 | 45.9% |
| 4 | South Dakota State University | SD | $50,623 | 37 | 98.3% |
| 5 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science | NY | $50,171 | 19 | 76.5% |
| 6 | Michigan State University | MI | $49,948 | 69 | 84.8% |
| 7 | Bemidji State University | MN | $49,040 | 27 | 56% |
| 8 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | TN | $48,882 | 36 | 41.6% |
| 9 | Virginia Tech | VA | $47,496 | 73 | 54.8% |
| 10 | University of New Hampshire | NH | $47,370 | 31 | 88.2% |
| 11 | Northwest Missouri State University | MO | $47,356 | 7 | 86.1% |
| 12 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | CA | $47,003 | 98 | 98.2% |
| 13 | Missouri Western State University | MO | $46,342 | 23 | |
| 14 | University of California-Davis | CA | $46,209 | 77 | 41.8% |
| 15 | University of Nevada-Reno | NV | $46,171 | 44 | 73.7% |
| 16 | University of Rhode Island | RI | $45,571 | 55 | 72.2% |
| 17 | University of Maine | ME | $45,502 | 39 | 96.6% |
| 18 | Mississippi State University | MS | $45,445 | 58 | 77.6% |
| 19 | West Virginia University | WV | $45,348 | 62 | 89% |
| 20 | Tennessee Technological University | TN | $45,348 | 40 | 76.1% |
| 21 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | $45,212 | 20 | 45.2% |
| 22 | University of Georgia | GA | $44,818 | 41 | 37.7% |
| 23 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | NM | $44,272 | 23 | 89% |
| 24 | Murray State University | KY | $43,844 | 32 | 85.7% |
| 25 | The University of Montana | MT | $43,286 | 62 | 95.9% |
| 26 | University of Idaho | ID | $43,171 | 22 | 75.5% |
| 27 | Missouri State University-Springfield | MO | $42,618 | 20 | 90.5% |
| 28 | University of Delaware | DE | $42,567 | 35 | 70.6% |
| 29 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point | WI | $42,330 | 84 | 91.8% |
| 30 | Otterbein University | OH | $41,121 | 23 | 84.5% |
| 31 | University of Florida | FL | $40,434 | 44 | 24.2% |
| 32 | Eastern Kentucky University | KY | $40,149 | 11 | 77.6% |
| 33 | Unity Environmental University | ME | $39,017 | 14 | |
| 34 | Delaware Valley University | PA | $38,899 | 48 | 93.2% |
| 35 | Michigan Technological University | MI | $38,775 | 18 | 92.4% |
17 more colleges award this degree but have no earnings figure, usually because the program is small.
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Frequently asked questions
Which college has the highest-paid Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management graduates?
Valley City State University ($69,799), Stephen F Austin State University ($56,437), Auburn University ($54,449), South Dakota State University ($50,623), Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science ($50,171) report the highest median earnings four years after graduation.
How much do Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management majors make?
The median across 35 colleges is $45,445 four years after graduation. By college it runs from $38,775 to $69,799.
Which colleges have the biggest Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management programs?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in a year: California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt (98), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (84), University of California-Davis (77), Tarleton State University (75), Virginia Tech (73).
Does a higher-earning program mean a better program?
Not on its own. Earnings reflect where graduates live, what jobs they take, and who enrolled in the first place, as well as the teaching. The figures cover only graduates who received federal financial aid, and small programs are left out, so a college missing from this list may still have a strong department.
Source: College Scorecard, Most Recent Data by Field of Study (U.S. Department of Education), 2026-06-10 release, federal program category "Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management". Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal financial aid, working and not enrolled, four years after a bachelor's degree.
