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Mathematical Biology

Types of Degrees Mathematical Biology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Mathematical Biology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	8
Master’s Degree	8

What Mathematical Biology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Mathematical Biology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Mathematical Biology 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.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Mathematical Biology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Mathematical Biology graduates include:

• Data Analyst
• Research Scientist
• Research Analyst
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Clinical Project Manager
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Marketing Database Analyst
• Business Analyst
• Business Technology Consultant
• Business Intelligence Specialist (BI Specialist)
• Business Systems Consultant
• Competitive Intelligence Analyst
• Strategic Business and Technology Intelligence Consultant
• Business Data Analyst

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	50.8%
Master’s degree	22.7%
Post-doctoral training	8.1%
Doctoral degree	7.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.4%
Postsecondary certificate	2.1%
Some college courses	1.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.3%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%
First professional degree	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Mathematical Biology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 68.8% of Mathematical Biology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	11	68.8%
Men	5	31.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	8	50.0%
Asian	4	25.0%
Hispanic or Latino	2	12.5%
International Students	2	12.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Mathematical Biology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Mathematical Biology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$69,764
4 years	$85,594
5 years	$100,060

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $100,060 — roughly 43% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Mathematical Biology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Mathematical Biology graduates earn a median of $85,594 four years after completion — roughly 125% 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
Applied Mathematics	27.03
Applied Mathematics, General	27.0301
Applied Mathematics, Other	27.0399
Computational and Applied Mathematics	27.0304
Computational Mathematics	27.0303
Financial Mathematics	27.0305
Mathematics and Statistics, Other	27.9999
Mathematics, General	27.0101
Mathematics and Statistics	27.0503
Algebra and Number Theory	27.0102
Analysis and Functional Analysis	27.0103
Applied Statistics, General	27.0601

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.