Human Biology

Types of Degrees Human Biology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many human biology graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	1,446
Associate’s Degree	6
Doctor’s Degree	6
Master’s Degree	1
Graduate Certificate	1

What Human Biology Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, human biology majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Human Biology Majors

Human Biology majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• 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.
• 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.

Skills for Human Biology Majors

A major in human biology prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

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

Abilities for Human Biology Majors

As a human biology major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

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

What Can You Do With a Human Biology Major?

People with a human biology degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Anthropologists	3.9%	$62,410
Biological Science Professors	15.1%	$82,550
Molecular and Cellular Biologists	8.0%	$79,590
Social Sciences Professors	9.8%	$71,600

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Biology?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 1,446 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human biology in 2019, making it rank #146 in popularity. This major is dominated by women with about 75% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of human biology majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	352
Black or African American	144
Hispanic or Latino	256
White	536
International Students	43
Other Races/Ethnicities	115

Geographic Diversity

Human Biology appeals to people across the globe. About 3.0% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• Canada
• China
• South Korea
• Nigeria
• United Kingdom

How Much Do Human Biology Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a bachelor’s degree in human biology was $29,800 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $27,925 (25th percentile) and $32,650 (75th percentile).

It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to human biology.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $65,310 to $87,950 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to human biology. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Human Biology

Some careers associated with human biology require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. 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 human biology careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	1.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.5%
Bachelor’s Degree	9.4%
Master’s Degree	24.8%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.2%
Doctoral Degree	36.8%
Post-Doctoral Training	27.8%

Online Human Biology Programs

In the 2018-2019 academic year, 31 schools offered some type of human biology program. 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	2	0
Bachelor’s Degree	2	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	1	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	4	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Human Biology Worth It?

The median salary for a human biology grad is $83,600 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 110% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $874,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Human Biology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to human biology.

Major	Number of Grads
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies	37,392
Biological & Physical Science	29,278
International Studies	7,967
Interdisciplinary Studies	6,609
Nutrition Science	4,794
Behavioral Science	3,731
Natural Sciences	2,571
Cognitive Science	2,275
Sustainability Science	2,194
Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution	1,310
Gerontology	1,281
Human Computer Interaction	1,272
Science, Technology & Society	1,171
Mathematics & Computer Science	1,105
Computational Science	927
Systems Theory	917
Museum Studies	801
Dispute Resolution	668
Historic Preservation	433
Multicultural & Diversity Studies	424
Classical & Ancient Studies	303
Marine Science	275
Cultural Studies & Analysis	227
Biopsychology	165
Medieval Studies	108
Accounting & Computer Science	71
Maritime Studies	45
Holocaust Studies	40

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.