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Computational Biology

Types of Degrees Computational Biology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Computational Biology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	135
Master’s Degree	92
Doctor’s Degree	94

What Computational Biology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Computational Biology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Computational Biology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Computational Biology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Computational Biology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Computational Biology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Computational Biology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Computational Biology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Linux	Operating system software	✓
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Perl	Object or component oriented development software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Computational Biology graduates include:

• Systems Engineer
• Data Analyst
• Research Scientist
• Security Engineer
• Network Engineer
• IT Architect (Information Technology Architect)
• Cloud Engineer
• Engineer
• Firmware Engineer
• Web Site Project Manager
• Machine Learning Engineer
• Business Consultant
• Security Analyst
• Research Analyst
• Clinical Data Coordinator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Computational Biology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	46.1%
Master’s degree	13.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	9.9%
Postsecondary certificate	8.5%
Post-doctoral training	5.4%
Doctoral degree	4.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.2%
Some college courses	3.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.0%
Post-master’s certificate	1.2%
Less than a high school diploma	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Computational Biology?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 54.5% women and 45.5% men among Computational Biology graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	175	54.5%
Men	146	45.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Computational Biology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	97	30.2%
Asian	89	27.7%
Hispanic or Latino	11	3.4%
Black or African American	10	3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.3%
Two or More Races	10	3.1%
Race Unknown	12	3.7%
International Students	90	28.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Computational Biology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Computational Biology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$82,809
4 years	$104,458
5 years	$123,442

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $123,442 — roughly 49% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Computational Biology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Computational Biology graduates earn a median of $104,458 four years after completion — roughly 175% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology	26.11
Bioinformatics	26.1103
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Other	26.1199
Biometry/Biometrics	26.1101
Biostatistics	26.1102
Biology/Biological Sciences, General	26.0101
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology	26.0406
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography	26.1302
Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology	26.0503
Microbiology and Immunology	26.0508
Molecular Biology	26.0204
Neuroscience	26.1501

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.