Zoology & Veterinary Sciences
What you'll do in college
These majors focus on the biology, health, and production of animals—from companion pets to livestock. Coursework covers animal anatomy, physiology, nutrition, genetics, reproduction, and behavior, along with hands-on labs in animal handling, dairy science, or poultry science. Many programs are at land-grant universities with teaching farms and veterinary hospitals.
Students often specialize in pre-veterinary tracks, equine science, dairy, or laboratory animal science. Internships at veterinary clinics, research labs, zoos, and farms are common, and the pre-vet path is notoriously competitive—expect a heavy science load on top of the animal-specific classes.
What you'll do after college
Graduates work as veterinary technicians, animal nutritionists, livestock managers, zookeepers, and laboratory animal specialists. Many continue to veterinary school, graduate programs, or professional tracks in animal pharmaceutical and feed companies.
Pay varies widely—veterinarians earn well but carry heavy student debt, while farm and shelter roles tend to be lower paid. Demand is strong for veterinary professionals, especially in rural and mixed-animal practice, where shortages are severe.
Famous graduates
- Temple Grandin — Animal welfare pioneer and autism advocate; B.A. in Psychology from Franklin Pierce College, M.S. in Animal Science from Arizona State
- Eugenie Clark — "The Shark Lady" and pioneering marine biologist; B.A. in Zoology from Hunter College
- Paul R. Ehrlich — Biologist and entomologist known for his population studies; B.A. in Zoology from the University of Pennsylvania
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
By SAT median
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoology & Veterinary Sciences | 246 | 14,268 | 23% / 77% | 1% | $52,741 |
| Animal Sciences | 65 | 3,865 | 16% / 84% | 1% | $54,225 |
| Animal Science | 21 | 2,315 | 16% / 84% | 1% | $56,710 |
| Zoology | 38 | 1,553 | 26% / 74% | 1% | $47,653 |
| Marine Biology | 48 | 1,143 | 29% / 71% | 3% | $50,170 |
| Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography | 21 | 541 | 35% / 65% | 2% | $49,988 |
| Wildlife Biology | 18 | 406 | 40% / 60% | 0% | $51,724 |
| Pre-Veterinary Studies | 18 | 351 | 13% / 87% | 2% | $70,870 |
| Veterinary Technology | 16 | 331 | 13% / 87% | 0% | $43,443 |
| Wildlife Management | 19 | 301 | 47% / 53% | 1% | $46,561 |
| Equestrian/Equine Studies | 19 | 214 | 8% / 92% | 0% | $40,758 |
| Animal Behavior and Ethology | 10 | 208 | 17% / 83% | 0% | $41,904 |
| Wildlife Science | 3 | 158 | 40% / 60% | 1% | $41,092 |
| Animal and Veterinary Sciences | 2 | 147 | 14% / 86% | 1% | $54,676 |
| Animal and Poultry Sciences | 1 | 146 | 14% / 86% | 1% | $48,966 |
| Entomology | 15 | 130 | 36% / 64% | 0% | $52,266 |
| Poultry Science | 6 | 107 | 48% / 52% | 3% | $70,837 |
| Horse Husbandry/Equine Science and Management | 6 | 94 | 5% / 95% | 0% | $51,431 |
| Animal and Dairy Sciences | 1 | 92 | 15% / 85% | 0% | $82,132 |
| Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology | 1 | 91 | 23% / 77% | 4% | |
| Wildlife and Fisheries Science | 2 | 89 | 62% / 38% | 0% | $52,064 |
| Wildlife | 1 | 88 | 42% / 58% | 0% | $36,414 |
| Animal Physiology | 3 | 86 | 23% / 77% | 1% | $65,974 |
| Dairy Science | 9 | 84 | 24% / 76% | 1% | $56,258 |
| Wildlife Ecology and Conservation | 1 | 84 | 32% / 68% | 0% | $38,410 |
| Animal Nutrition | 1 | 80 | 16% / 84% | 0% | $70,812 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | 1 | 78 | 47% / 53% | 0% | $46,658 |
| Veterinary and Animal Sciences | 1 | 77 | 10% / 90% | 1% | $83,206 |
| Animal Health | 2 | 73 | 3% / 97% | 0% | $63,354 |
| Wildlife Sciences | 2 | 73 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $51,582 |
| Wildlife Conservation | 1 | 71 | 38% / 62% | 0% | $44,689 |
| Animal Biology | 1 | 64 | 25% / 75% | 8% | |
| Pre-Veterinary Medicine | 1 | 61 | 11% / 89% | 0% | |
| Fisheries and Wildlife | 1 | 59 | 42% / 58% | 0% | $47,636 |
| Marine Science - Biology | 1 | 58 | 26% / 74% | 5% | $43,956 |
| Aquatic Biology | 2 | 55 | 31% / 69% | 2% | $43,916 |
| Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture | 1 | 53 | 43% / 57% | 0% | $58,183 |
| Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries | 1 | 52 | 31% / 69% | 2% | $43,680 |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician and Veterinary Assistant | 4 | 47 | 11% / 89% | 2% | |
| Fisheries Science and Management | 1 | 45 | 87% / 13% | 0% | $55,155 |
| Animal Genetics | 1 | 42 | 7% / 93% | 0% | |
| Aquaculture | 5 | 41 | 46% / 54% | 0% | $43,598 |
| Fisheries and Wildlife Science | 1 | 41 | 49% / 51% | 2% | $46,934 |
| Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management | 5 | 38 | 71% / 29% | 5% | $54,670 |
| Aquatic Biology/Limnology | 5 | 37 | 59% / 41% | 3% | $58,802 |
| Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and Management | 1 | 33 | 61% / 39% | 0% | $48,347 |
| Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences | 2 | 31 | 45% / 55% | 0% | $58,388 |
| Wildlife and Fisheries Biology | 1 | 31 | 29% / 71% | 3% | $38,963 |
| Fisheries Science | 2 | 29 | 52% / 48% | 0% | $49,113 |
| Wildlife Ecology | 1 | 28 | 46% / 54% | 4% | $39,416 |
| Wildlife and Fisheries | 1 | 28 | 68% / 32% | 0% | |
| Wildlife Resources | 1 | 25 | 52% / 48% | 0% | $51,069 |
| Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife | 1 | 23 | 35% / 65% | 0% | $58,584 |
| Veterinary Sciences/Veterinary Clinical Sciences | 3 | 22 | 14% / 86% | 0% | |
| Veterinary Medical Technology | 1 | 22 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $42,772 |
| Animal Health Technology | 1 | 21 | 0% / 100% | 0% | |
| Anthrozoology | 1 | 19 | 37% / 63% | 0% | |
| Wildlife, Fish, and Wildlands Science and Management | 1 | 19 | 32% / 68% | 0% | |
| Equine Science | 3 | 17 | 6% / 94% | 0% | $43,446 |
| Fisheries Biology | 1 | 16 | 62% / 38% | 0% | $41,481 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science | 1 | 16 | 69% / 31% | 0% | |
| Equestrian Studies | 1 | 14 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $32,689 |
| Animal Training | 1 | 13 | 31% / 69% | 0% | |
| Aquatic and Fisheries Science | 1 | 13 | 54% / 46% | 0% | $40,213 |
| Insect Biology | 1 | 13 | 54% / 46% | 0% | |
| Dairy and Food Animal Management | 1 | 11 | 27% / 73% | 0% | $61,316 |
| Fisheries | 1 | 11 | 82% / 18% | 0% | $62,480 |
| Marine Sciences | 1 | 10 | 60% / 40% | 0% | $46,267 |
| Equine Science and Management | 2 | 9 | 0% / 100% | 0% | |
| Aquaculture and Fisheries Science | 1 | 6 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Pre-Veterinary Science | 1 | 6 | 0% / 100% | 0% | |
| Animal Husbandry | 1 | 4 | 25% / 75% | 0% | |
| Animal Studies | 1 | 4 | 0% / 100% | 0% | |
| Equine Studies | 1 | 3 | 0% / 100% | 0% | |
| Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology | 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $76,186 |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% |