Computational Biology
Types of Degrees Computational Biology Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many computational biology graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 132 |
Doctor’s Degree | 106 |
Master’s Degree | 74 |
Graduate Certificate | 7 |
What Computational Biology Majors Need to Know
O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to computational biology and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.
Knowledge Areas for Computational Biology Majors
This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Skills for Computational Biology Majors
computational biology majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Abilities for Computational Biology Majors
A major in computational biology will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
What Can You Do With a Computational Biology Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with computational biology:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Bioinformatics Scientists | 8.0% | $79,590 |
Biological Science Professors | 15.1% | $82,550 |
Clinical Research Coordinators | 9.9% | $123,860 |
Data Warehousing Specialists | 9.3% | $90,270 |
Database Architects | 9.3% | $90,270 |
Mathematical Science Occupations | 9.1% | NA |
Natural Sciences Managers | 9.9% | $123,860 |
Water Resource Specialists | 9.9% | $123,860 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Computational Biology?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of computational biology majors is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 53 |
Black or African American | 3 |
Hispanic or Latino | 11 |
White | 43 |
International Students | 14 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 8 |
Geographic Diversity
Computational Biology appeals to people across the globe. About 10.6% of those with this major are international students.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Computational Biology
Some degrees associated with computational biology may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to computational biology have obtained the following education levels.
Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 1.7% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 1.8% |
Some College Courses | 0.5% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 2.8% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 43.6% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 2.0% |
Master’s Degree | 18.7% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 0.6% |
Doctoral Degree | 14.7% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 13.8% |
Online Computational Biology Programs
The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 1 | 0 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 14 | 0 |
Post-Master’s | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 19 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Explore Major by State
Alabama
California
District of Columbia
Idaho
Kansas
Maryland
Mississippi
Nevada
New York
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Utah
West Virginia
Alaska
Colorado
Florida
Illinois
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Missouri
New Hampshire
North Carolina
Oregon
South Dakota
Vermont
Wisconsin
Majors Related to Computational Biology
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to computational biology.
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Biostatistics | 1,610 |
Bioinformatics | 1,245 |
Biomathematics | 199 |
Biometry/Biometrics | 132 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Pixabay under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.