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Biology Studies

Types of Degrees Biology Studies Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Biology Studies may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	29
Associate’s Degree	7,885
Bachelor’s Degree	76,552
Master’s Degree	4,274
Doctor’s Degree	1,087

What Biology Studies Majors Need to Know

Programs in Biology Studies build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Biology Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Biology Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Biology Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Biology Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Biology Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Biology Studies graduates include:

• Biology Teacher
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Military Science Instructor
• Gym Teacher (Gymnasium Teacher)
• Organ Teacher
• Geometry Teacher
• Arts and Crafts Teacher
• Public Speaking Teacher
• Bilingual Teacher
• Health Teacher
• Latin Teacher
• Language Teacher
• Health and PE Teacher (Health and Physical Education Teacher)

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	42.6%
Master’s degree	13.8%
Post-doctoral training	11.1%
Doctoral degree	9.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.1%
Postsecondary certificate	3.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.6%
Some college courses	2.9%
Post-master’s certificate	1.9%
Less than a high school diploma	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Biology Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 68.4% of Biology Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	61,420	68.4%
Men	28,407	31.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	41,711	46.4%
Asian	12,373	13.8%
Hispanic or Latino	17,559	19.5%
Black or African American	8,638	9.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	312	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	151	0.2%
Two or More Races	4,061	4.5%
Race Unknown	2,031	2.3%
International Students	2,991	3.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Biology Studies Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Biology Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,888
4 years	$49,148
5 years	$62,034

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $62,034 — roughly 89% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Biology Studies Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Biology Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	23	21
Bachelor’s	22	35
Master’s	13	22

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Biology Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Biology Studies graduates earn a median of $49,148 four years after completion — roughly 29% 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
Biology, General	26.01
Biomedical Sciences, General	26.0102
Biochemistry	26.0202
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other	26.9999
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology	26.0406
Computational Biology	26.1104
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other	26.1399
Ecology	26.1301
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography	26.1302
Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology	26.0503
Microbiology and Immunology	26.0508

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.