Top Zoology Colleges
Find out which schools offer top ranked degree programs in zoology and the specialties available. Get tips for selecting a program and the kinds of research you might be able to do.
How Can I Choose a Zoology College?
Consider your career objectives: whether you want to teach, move on to a veterinary training program, perform research in a laboratory or work at a zoo, you'll need research opportunities, laboratory facilities and centers to match your interests. Maybe you'll want a travel program or the opportunity to work with faculty. Many top zoology programs are also associated with distinguished veterinary schools. If you're a graduate student, look for colleges that will fund your studies.
<h2 id="section---WhatAreThreeTopZoologyColleges">What Are Three Top Zoology Colleges?</h2><h3 id="section---MiamiUniversityInOxfordOH">Miami University in Oxford, OH</h3><p>MU was ranked 42nd among public national universities and 96th among national universities overall for 2019, according to <i>U.S. News & World Report</i> (<i>www.usnews.com</i>). In the zoology bachelor's degree program, you can complete lab work for academic credit or work as a laboratory assistant for pay. Faculty members are assigned as preprofessional career advisors to help students interested in veterinary school or premedical programs select the appropriate coursework.
</p><p>All zoology students can participate in research opportunities through the Center for Animal Behavior. You can also study animals in their natural habitat at the Ecology Research Center and the Bachelor Wildlife Reserve. Nearby Hueston Woods State Park has a beech and maple forest and aquatic research equipment on Acton Lake. You can also get involved in outreach services offered through the Center for Environmental Education's Hefner Zoology Museum. Available degrees follow.
</p><ul><li>Bachelor of Arts in Zoology
</li><li>Bachelor of Science in Zoology
</li></ul><h3 id="section---MichiganStateUniversityInLansing">Michigan State University in Lansing</h3><p>This university tied for 35th place in <i>U.S. News & World Report's</i> public university rankings for 2019. <i>U.S. News and World Report</i> also rated its veterinary school 17th in 2019.
</p><p>Zoology students gain hands-on experience through internships with zoos or wildlife agencies. Undergraduate travel abroad to Uganda, Kenya and Ecuador is available. You can also assist faculty members with their field work. The Undergraduate Research Office is available if you need help funding your own research project.
</p><p>Research facilities include the Kellogg Biological Station, the MSU Center for Microbial Ecology and the MSU Bee Laboratory. MSU can also claim a museum with vertebrate paleontology, ornithology, herpetology, mammology and ichthyology collections. If you're interested in studying invertebrates, the A.J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection holds more than two million insect specimens. MSU zoology degrees follow.
</p><ul><li>Bachelor of Arts in Zoology
</li><li>B.S. in Zoology
</li><li>B.S. in Environmental Biology and Zoology
</li></ul><h3 id="section---UniversityOfFloridaInGainesville">University of Florida in Gainesville</h3><p>UF was ranked in 8th place for best public university for 2019, according to <i>U.S. News & World Report</i>. UF's 9th-ranked veterinary medicine program (2019) includes small and large animal hospitals, a pharmacy and graduate research programs.
</p><p>General zoology, education and pre-professional undergraduate tracks are available to you. Advanced undergraduates are encouraged to work as assistants and lab technicians for conservation agencies or campus laboratories. Exceptional students may join an honors program to pursue independent research. Master's and doctoral degrees with concentrations ranging from behavior to phylogenetics are also available. Thesis master's degree candidates and Ph.D. candidates are typically supported for two or six years, respectively.
</p><p>UF students can access the Arthur R. Marshall, Jr., Ecological Sciences Laboratory or the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience. Other facilities include the Seahorse Key Marine Laboratory and the Natural Area Teaching Lab. UF offers the following zoology degrees:
</p><ul><li>Bachelor of Science in Zoology
</li><li>Master of Science in Zoology
</li><li>Master of Science in Teaching in Zoology
</li><li>Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology
</li></ul><h2 id="section---SchoolsForZoologyMajors">Schools for Zoology Majors</h2><p></p><table border="1"><tr><th>College/University </th><th>Institution Type</th><th>Location</th><th>Estimated Undergrad In-State Tuition*</th></tr>
<tr><td>Cornell University</td><td>4- year, Private </td><td>Ithaca, NY</td><td>$55,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Washington State University</td><td> 4-year, Public</td><td> Pullman, WA</td><td>$11,500</td></tr>
<tr><td>Rutgers University</td><td>4- year, Public </td><td>Newark, NJ</td><td>$14,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Texas A&M University--College Station </td><td>4- year, Public</td><td> College Station, TX</td><td>$12,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of Wisconsin--Madison</td><td> 4- year, Public</td><td> Madison, WI</td><td>$10,500</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of Hawaii--Manoa </td><td>4-year, Public</td><td> Honolulu, HI</td><td>$12,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Kent State University</td><td>4-year, Public</td><td> Kent, Ohio</td><td>$10,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Auburn University</td><td> 4-year, Public </td><td>Auburn, AL</td><td>$11,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Humboldt State University</td><td>4-year, Public</td><td>Arcata, CA</td><td>$8,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of California Santa Barbara</td><td>4-year, Public</td><td>Santa Barbara, CA</td><td>$14,000</td></tr>
</table><p><i>*Source: NCES, U.S. Department of Education</i></p>