Biomedical Science

Types of Degrees Biomedical Science Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many biological & biomedical sciences (other) graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	1,778
Bachelor’s Degree	1,590
Associate Degree	528
Basic Certificate	310
Doctor’s Degree	276
Graduate Certificate	107
Undergraduate Certificate	48

What Biomedical Science Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to biomedical science 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 Biomedical Science Majors

Biomedical Science majors often go into careers in which the following 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.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 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.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Biomedical Science Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to biomedical science:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• 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.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Biomedical Science Majors

A major in biomedical science will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• 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 Biomedical Science Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with biomedical science:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Biological Science Professors	15.1%	$82,550
Biological Scientists	8.0%	$79,590
Clinical Research Coordinators	9.9%	$123,860
Life Scientists	9.0%	$78,190
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Science?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 1,688 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biological & biomedical sciences (other) in 2021, making it rank #140 in popularity. This major is dominated by women with about 72% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of biomedical science majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	190
Black or African American	89
Hispanic or Latino	380
White	737
International Students	87
Other Races/Ethnicities	107

Geographic Diversity

Biomedical Science appeals to people across the globe. About 5.5% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Biomedical Science

Some degrees associated with biomedical science may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for biomedical science careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	2.6%
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)	2.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	3.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	30.9%
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.	2.1%
Master’s Degree	13.4%
Doctoral Degree	25.5%
Post-Doctoral Training	19.0%

Online Biomedical Science 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)	7	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	12	1
Bachelor’s Degree	12	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	64	6
Post-Master’s	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	39	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Biomedical Science

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to biomedical science.

Major	Number of Grads
General Biology	103,883
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology	14,354
Neurobiology & Neurosciences	12,903
Physiology & Pathology Sciences	10,453
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology	9,123
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences	6,274
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology	4,815
Biotechnology	3,836
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics	3,505
Zoology	3,246
Genetics	1,703
Pharmacology & Toxicology	1,179
Botany/Plant Biology	743
Molecular Medicine	130

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

More about our data sources and methodologies.