What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology is tracked across 44 U.S. postsecondary institutions in the College Scorecard field-of-study file, which links CIP code classifications from IPEDS to Treasury earnings records. This profile covers the graduate certificate credential level specifically, because the Department of Education reports program-level outcomes separately for associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral awards. The CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) taxonomy lets analysts roll up specialties into broader families, which is why earnings medians across schools can be compared on a common basis.
Across all reporting institutions, the mean of school-level medians is $96,679, calculated from 2 schools with published earnings data. The top-reporting institution in this program is Columbia University in the City of New York at $102,199. These numbers reflect earnings measured roughly a year after completion, using Social Security Administration tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants.
Variation across schools matters more than a single national figure. Completers counts reported per school indicate how many graduates’ earnings feed the median, which means small programs produce more volatile numbers. Median debt at the program level, when paired with earnings, yields a debt-to-earnings ratio that is the College Scorecard’s standard affordability signal — ratios under 1.0 indicate earnings exceed cumulative debt. Use the school-by-school table to spot institutions where Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology graduates out-earn peers at comparable cost, and to surface gainful-employment patterns that only become visible at the CIP-code level.
Columbia University in the City of New York accounts for 72.1% of all Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology graduate certificate credential graduates
That concentration — well above the 5% national median for largest-entity share — means Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. That school produced 88 graduates in the most recent cohort, anchoring a meaningful slice of national supply for this field. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.77 — near the typical range (US average ~1) — aligned with the typical 1:1 ratio that defines federal gainful-employment thresholds
debt-to-earnings ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: this ratio uses federal loan principal, not all education debt — private loans, parent PLUS loans not in the borrower’s name, and institutional debt are excluded Variation between sub-units within Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology is typically wider than the Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology-aggregate figure suggests.
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology operates only 44 institutions offer this program — among the most consolidated governance structures in the country
Most Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology institutions offer this program are specialty-program scarcity that concentrates national supply in a small set of institutions — graduates often command stronger employer attention because the talent pool is structurally narrower. Consolidation produces narrower variance because resources pool across larger populations, but it can also mask intra-institutions offer this program inequities — sub-institutions offer this program differences within a single institutions offer this program are not visible at this aggregation level. Consolidated systems typically rely more heavily on top-down funding formulas than on local revenue variability.
How much do Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology graduates earn? ▼
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology graduates earn $96,679 on average across 44 schools.
Which school pays the most for Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology? ▼
Columbia University in the City of New York has the highest reported median earnings for Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology graduates at $102,199, based on College Scorecard data.
What credential do you get in Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology? ▼
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology programs typically award a Graduate Certificate credential. Earnings vary by school and credential level.
Top Schools for Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
Closest schools offering this program — compare earnings side by side
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Median earnings represent graduates who received federal financial aid, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid applicants. Completers count and debt figures reflect program-level data reported through IPEDS. Data is updated annually.