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Natural Sciences

Types of Degrees Natural Sciences Majors Are Earning

Those studying Natural Sciences have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	769
Associate’s Degree	889
Bachelor’s Degree	844
Master’s Degree	132
Doctor’s Degree	14

What Natural Sciences Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Natural Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Natural Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Natural Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.1 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Natural Sciences professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Natural Sciences graduates include:

• Liberal Arts Teacher
• Foreign Student Adviser Teacher
• Faculty Member
• Naval Science Teacher
• Weight Control Lecturer
• Interior Design Teacher
• Computer Technology Instructor
• Urban Planning Teacher
• Military Science Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Instructor
• University Professor
• Project Management Professor
• City Planning Teacher
• Military Science Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	54.7%
Master’s degree	13.5%
Postsecondary certificate	6.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.3%
Some college courses	5.0%
Post-doctoral training	4.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.5%
Doctoral degree	3.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Natural Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 59.6% women and 40.4% men among Natural Sciences graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,579	59.6%
Men	1,069	40.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Natural Sciences graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	918	34.7%
Asian	284	10.7%
Hispanic or Latino	966	36.5%
Black or African American	166	6.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	33	1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.2%
Two or More Races	172	6.5%
Race Unknown	44	1.7%
International Students	60	2.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Natural Sciences Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Natural Sciences 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	$28,047
4 years	$46,884
5 years	$60,319

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $60,319 — roughly 115% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Natural Sciences Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Natural Sciences. 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	5	2
Bachelor’s	2	1
Master’s	1	2

^{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 Natural Sciences Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Natural Sciences graduates earn a median of $46,884 four years after completion — roughly 23% 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
Multi Interdisciplinary Studies	30
Accounting and Computer Science	30.16
Anthrozoology	30.34
Behavioral Sciences	30.17
Biological and Physical Sciences	30.01
Biopsychology	30.10
Classical and Ancient Studies	30.22
Climate Science	30.35
Cognitive Science	30.25
Computational Science	30.30
Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature	30.36
Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis	30.26

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.