Ecology & Evolution at University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus
Waterbury, CT · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
46
Optimistic
44
Base Case
38
Pessimistic
Earnings
$32,882/yr (10% vs median)
AI Risk
High (46% exposed)
Job Market
Large (72,700 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Ecology & Evolution graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $524K | $374K | $249K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 7.5x | 5.4x | 3.6x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 3.3x | 2.3x | 1.6x |
| Viable Career Paths | 13 of 13 | 13 of 13 | 13 of 13 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 46 | 44 | 38 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$69,848
Out-of-state: $160,520
Median Debt at Graduation
$26,012
9.5 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$48,118
46% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Ecology & Evolution graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 72,700 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $161,180 | 8,500 | +3.7% | 50% |
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | $105,620 | 27,400 | +17.3% | 48% |
| Statisticians | $103,300 | 2,000 | +8.5% | 66% |
| Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary | $100,830 | 100 | +4.0% | 48% |
| Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | $100,590 | 9,600 | +8.7% | 52% |
| Biological scientists, all other | $93,330 | 4,800 | +1.2% | 49% |
| Life scientists, all other | $87,800 | 400 | +3.7% | 0% |
| Environmental science teachers, postsecondary | $87,710 | 700 | +2.9% | 52% |
Compare & Explore
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Ecology & Evolution at University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus?
This program scores 44/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 46 (optimistic) to 38 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Ecology & Evolution career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Ecology & Evolution graduates retain 13 of 13 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $249,474 (pessimistic) to $523,703 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Ecology & Evolution graduates?
The career paths mapped to Ecology & Evolution have roughly 72,700 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Ecology & Evolution at University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 5.4x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 3.6x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2025.