Home Schools Rutgers Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Biological Sciences · Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Rank #13 of 64

Ecology & Evolutionary Biologyat Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Graduates earn $39,491/yr in their first year — about 32.0% above the national Ecology & Evolutionary Biology average. Base-case 10-year earnings $473K; scenarios range from $450K to $472K depending on AI disruption.

New Brunswick, NJ Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
37 AT RISK
37
Optimistic
35
Pessimistic
Earnings
$39,491
1-year post-graduation
ROI
4.7x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$473K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
51% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Rutgers

Rutgers' Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology program offers a robust scientific foundation, likely explaining its strong earning potential. Situated in a region with significant pharmaceutical, biotech, and environmental consulting industries, your analytical and research skills are highly valued. Many graduates leverage this rigorous training for advanced degrees in medicine, public health, or specialized scientific research, which often leads to higher-paying leadership and expert roles. You'll also find opportunities in data-intensive fields like statistics or natural resource management, where your understanding of complex biological systems is critical. To maximize your outcomes, actively seek out research opportunities, internships with local companies, and consider how your scientific foundation can be applied to emerging interdisciplinary fields.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$450K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score35/100
Earnings Multiple6.5x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$473K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score37/100
Earnings Multiple6.9x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$472K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score37/100
Earnings Multiple6.8x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Rutgers's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Ecology & Evolutionary Biology graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Natural sciences managers
+3.7% 10-yr growth · 8,500 openings/yr
$161,180/yr
High
2
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
+17.3% 10-yr growth · 27,400 openings/yr
$105,620/yr
Moderate
3
Statisticians
+8.5% 10-yr growth · 2,000 openings/yr
$103,300/yr
High
4
Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary
+4.0% 10-yr growth · 100 openings/yr
$100,830/yr
Moderate
5
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
+8.7% 10-yr growth · 9,600 openings/yr
$100,590/yr
High
6
Biological scientists, all other
+1.2% 10-yr growth · 4,800 openings/yr
$93,330/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

How Rutgers stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Princeton University
NJ · Private nonprofit
40
DW Score
$53K
1-yr earn
1.2x
ROI
New York University
NY · Private nonprofit
36
DW Score
$41K
1-yr earn
1.9x
ROI
Top score
California State University-San Marcos
CA · Public
44
DW Score
$41K
1-yr earn
12.2x
ROI
University of Colorado Boulder
CO · Public
39
DW Score
$37K
1-yr earn
7.4x
ROI
University of Maryland-College Park
MD · Public
42
DW Score
$36K
1-yr earn
11.0x
ROI
Also at Rutgers

Other top programs at Rutgers

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Rutgers, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Rutgers

What does a 37/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Rutgers University-New Brunswick?

At 37/100, the financial outlook is modest. Higher-scoring Ecology & Evolutionary Biology programs exist, though non-financial factors may justify this choice.

Should I worry about AI if I study Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Rutgers University-New Brunswick?

The 46% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.

Is Rutgers University-New Brunswick one of the best schools for Ecology & Evolutionary Biology?

Among 64 Ecology & Evolutionary Biology programs, Rutgers University-New Brunswick's #13 position reflects consistently above-average results across earnings, ROI, and employment probability.