Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management at East Texas A&M University

The earnings data here should make any parent pause before signing on. Starting at just over $20,000—barely above minimum wage—graduates from this program earn 29% less than the typical wildlife science graduate in Texas and rank near the bottom nationally. Among the six Texas schools offering this major, East Texas A&M lands in the 10th percentile, while Stephen F. Austin State's comparable program produces graduates earning more than double.

The debt load isn't catastrophic at under $20,000, but when your first-year salary barely covers that amount, even modest borrowing becomes burdensome. For context, wildlife careers often require additional credentials or start at government pay scales that improve over time—but your child would be beginning from an unusually low baseline. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these figures could shift with more data, but the gap to both state and national medians is too wide to dismiss.

If your child is set on wildlife management, compare this program directly to alternatives like Stephen F. Austin. At minimum, investigate why East Texas A&M's outcomes lag so dramatically—it could reflect local job markets, internship networks, or curriculum differences that matter enormously in a field where connections and field experience often determine early career trajectory.