Alright—so you're inspired to study science, get out in the field, and pursue conservation as a career! Now what? Ecology Project International's Development Interns, Audrey and Shona, have pulled together a list of recommended programs in Ecology and Environmental Sciences.
Location: Amherst, MA; Rural (as labeled by the College Board) Acceptance rate: 8.7% (2021) Size: 1,800 (Small) (as labeled by The College Board) Amherst College is located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The small, private liberal arts college offers majors including Biology and Environmental Studies. EPI loves Amherst College’s Environmental Studies major for its acknowledgment of the “complex interactions between humans and nature.”
Location: Waterville, ME; Rural Acceptance rate: 8.9% (2021) Size: 1,900 (Small) Colby College is located in Waterville, Maine. The small, private liberal arts college offers majors including Biology, Environmental Policy, and Geoscience. EPI would like to highlight Colby College’s Ecology and Evolution concentration within the Biology major for its commitment to interdisciplinary education.
Location: Colorado Springs, CO; Urban Acceptance rate: 14.3% (2021) Size: 2,000 (Medium) Colorado College is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The medium-sized, private liberal arts college offers majors including an Environmental Program and Organismal Biology and Ecology. EPI is excited about Colorado College’s Environmental Program because it has three diverse tracks: the Integrated Major, Chemistry Concentration, and Physics Concentration.
Location: Fort Collins, CO; Suburban Acceptance rate: 89.6% (2021) Size: 24,000 (Large) Nestled in the foothills of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, Colorado State University's (CSU's) robust Warner College of Natural Resources offers majors in Environmental Science, Wildlife Biology, Natural Resource Management, and more. EPI loves CSU’s commitment to sustainability and wildlife research, as well as its diverse collection of majors and minors for a career in conservation.
Location: Middlebury, VT; Rural Acceptance rate: 13.4% (2021) Size: 2,600 (Medium) Middlebury College is located in Middlebury, Vermont. The medium-sized, private liberal arts college offers majors including Biology and Environmental Studies. EPI loves Middlebury College’s commitment to sustainability, as seen through their goal of carbon neutrality.
Location: Bozeman, MT; Rural Acceptance rate: 73% (2021) Size: 16,800 (Medium) Montana State University is located outside Bozeman, Montana. The medium-sized, public university offers majors including Environmental Horticulture, Natural Resources and Rangeland Ecology, and Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems. EPI appreciates Montana State University’s dedication to the natural world as seen through the diverse majors offered in the College of Agriculture.
Location: Claremont, CA; Suburban Acceptance rate: 6.6% (2021) Size: 1,700 (Small) Pomona College is located in Claremont, California. The small, private liberal arts college offers majors including Biology and Environmental Analysis. EPI recognizes Pomona College’s inclusion of ecology and conservation biology studies within the Biology major.
Location: Syracuse, NY; Urban Acceptance rate: 75.4% (2021) Size: 2,200 (Small) The State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) is located in Syracuse, New York. The small, public university and liberal arts college offers majors including Conservation Biology, Environmental Health, and Wildlife Science. EPI is excited about the State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s commitment to and focus on natural resources and the environment.
Location: Davis, CA; Suburban Acceptance rate: 48.8% (2021) Size: 38,100 (Large) The University of California: Davis is located in Davis, California. The large, public university offers majors including Ecological Management and Restoration, Environmental Horticulture and Urban Forestry, and Marine and Coastal Science. EPI appreciates The University of California: Davis’ College of Biological Sciences and College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences for promoting a variety of majors.
Location: Moscow, ID; Rural Acceptance rate: 81.4% (2021) Size: 11,800 (Medium) The University of Idaho is located in Moscow, Idaho. The medium-sized, public university offers majors including Biological Systems Engineering, Ecohydrological Engineering, and Ecology and Conservation Biology. EPI is excited about the multiple paths of the University of Idaho’s Environmental Science major including Biological, Physical, and Social.
Location: Ann Arbor, MI; Urban Acceptance rate: 20.2% (2021) Size: 30,300 (Large) The University of Michigan is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The large, public university offers majors including Biology, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Plant Biology. EPI appreciates the University of Michigan’s Program in the Environment and the many minors additionally offered in the field.
Location: Missoula, MT; Suburban Acceptance rate: 82.1% (2021) Size: 11,000 (Medium) The University of Montana is located in Missoula, Montana. The medium-sized, public university offers majors including Ecological Sciences & Restoration, Environmental Health, Fish and Wildlife Biology, Forest and Conservation Sciences, Environmental and Natural Resources Law, and Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism. The UM Environmental Studies program was the first of its kind in the country, and EPI is proud to say that many of its U.S. employees graduated from the program, including one of our co-founders, Scott Pankratz.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC; Suburban Acceptance rate: 17% (2021) Size: 19,100 (Large) The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The large, public university offers majors including Biology, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, and Marine Sciences. EPI recognizes The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Biology Department for featuring both an undergraduate and graduate program.
Location: Austin, TX; Urban Acceptance rate: 31% (2021) Size: 51,000 (Large) The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas. The large, public university offers majors including Environmental Science, Geosystems Engineering and Hydrogeology, and Biology. EPI is excited about the University of Texas at Austin’s many specializations within the Biology major, including Computational Biology, Human Biology, Marine and Freshwater Science, Plant Biology, and Ecology, and Evolution and Behavior.
Location: Burlington, VT; Suburban Acceptance rate: 63.5% (2021) Size: 11,400 (Medium) The University of Vermont is located in Burlington, Vermont. The medium-sized, public university offers majors including Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, Environmental Sciences, and Ecological Agriculture. EPI loves the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources for its diverse undergraduate programs.
Location: Seattle, WA; Urban Acceptance rate: 53.5% (2021) Size: 32,100 (large) The University of Washington is located in Seattle, Washington. The large, public university offers majors including Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Environmental Science and Resources Management, and Oceanography. EPI recognizes the University of Washington as the top publisher of earth and environmental science research, according to a Nature Index report.
Location: Madison, WI; Urban Acceptance rate: 60.4% (2021) Size: 32,600 (Large) The University of Wisconsin – Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin. This large, public university offers majors including Biology Education, Conservation Biology, and Forest Science. EPI is excited about the University of Wisconsin – Madison’s Environmental Jobs Board, ensuring students can find employment in sustainable positions.