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Major · Biological & Biomedical Sciences

A specialty-biology CIP for niche bench tracks

Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other (CIP 26.9999) is a CIP catchall for biology programs that don’t fit a named sub-discipline. About 2,089 students complete it across 88 institutions, with bachelor’s grads earning $70,409 — close to the broader biology field, and most named careers requiring graduate credentials.

Schools offering
88
Annual completions
2,089
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$69k

About this major

Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other (CIP 26.9999) is a CIP catchall — its definition reads in full "any instructional program in the biological and biomedical sciences not listed above." That means specific program content varies considerably by institution. Programs grouped under this code typically don’t fit a named CIP like Biology, General (26.0101), Biochemistry (26.0202), Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology (26.0406), or Microbiology (26.0502). In practice, this code captures integrative biology programs, biology-and-society or biology-and-physical-sciences blends, evolutionary biology specialty tracks, and cross-disciplinary biomedical programs that schools have positioned outside the standard biology classification.

The major fits students considering a specialty biology track that the standard named CIPs don’t cover. It rewards strong quantitative and laboratory fundamentals, willingness to read across sub-disciplines, and the patience for long-form thesis or research-assistant work. Day-to-day at the bachelor’s level looks like a biology bachelor’s anywhere: lab and lecture science, seminar-style upper-division coursework, and undergraduate research. Most graduates continue to graduate school or professional health programs — the bachelor’s alone doesn’t typically deliver the wage outcomes the data suggests at first glance.

One grounded observation about scale and earnings: 2,089 students complete this CIP across 88 institutions, with bachelor’s grads earning $70,409 and associate’s grads earning $38,396 — a $32,000 gap that captures the divide between technician-level associate’s placements and broader bachelor’s-accessible bench, public-health, and pre-health-applicant roles. The packet names four BLS occupations and the headline figures — Natural sciences managers at $161,180 and Biological scientists all other at $93,330 — are residual or mid-career categories, not realistic bachelor’s entry points. Penn State-Main dominates the producer list with 330 completions, with Ventura College (221, associate’s) and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (177) anchoring respective associate’s and bachelor’s pipelines.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Natural sciences managers $161k +3.7% Bachelor's degree
Biological science teachers, postsecondary $83k +7.3% Doctoral or professional degree
Biological scientists, all other $93k +1.2% Bachelor's degree
Life scientists, all other $88k +3.7% Bachelor's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$69k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$38k

Bachelor's

$70k

Who this major is for

Good signs this major fits: you’re considering a specialty biology track that the standard named CIPs don’t fully describe (integrative biology, evolutionary biology, biology-and-physical-sciences blends), you’re committed to graduate or professional school as part of the realistic career path, and you’ve verified the specific program’s content by reading the catalog and asking why the school uses 26.9999 rather than 26.0101. The bachelor’s pays $70,409 and the underlying biology labor market is the same regardless of CIP code. Penn State-Main and large research universities lead the bachelor’s side; Ventura and Solano community colleges anchor California transfer pipelines.

Reasons to pause: the "Other" CIP code groups programs that don’t fit named tracks, so program content and quality vary considerably — ask any prospective school why it uses 26.9999 instead of 26.0101 (Biology General) and what specialty track that encodes. Most named higher-paying careers require graduate credentials: postsecondary biology teaching at $83,460 needs a doctorate, and most realistic bench-research careers require master’s or PhD work. Treat the residual SOC wages — Biological scientists all other at $93,330, Life scientists all other at $87,800 — as catch-all wage categories, not targeted entry destinations. If you’re unsure of the specialty, the standard Biology, General (26.0101) bachelor’s keeps more options open.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA 0 330 330
Ventura College Ventura, CA 221 0 221
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL 0 177 177
Solano Community College Fairfield, CA 158 0 158
University of Western States Portland, OR 0 149 149
Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN 0 132 132
Chabot College Hayward, CA 108 0 108
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH 0 86 86
University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla Aguadilla, PR 0 86 86
Cornell University Ithaca, NY 0 83 83
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Biology/Biological Sciences, General

83,027 completions/yr

Biological and Physical Sciences

25,374 completions/yr

Neuroscience

9,625 completions/yr

Biochemistry

8,736 completions/yr

Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology

3,392 completions/yr

Nutrition Sciences

3,240 completions/yr

Microbiology, General

2,120 completions/yr

Human Biology

2,094 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this CIP actually cover?
The CIP definition reads: "any instructional program in the biological and biomedical sciences not listed above." In practice, that means specialty biology programs that don’t fit named CIPs like Biology General (26.0101), Biochemistry (26.0202), Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology (26.0406), or Microbiology (26.0502). Common examples include integrative biology, biological-and-physical-sciences blends, evolutionary biology, and cross-disciplinary biomedical programs. Specific program content varies considerably by institution.
How does this compare to Biology, General (CIP 26.0101)?
Biology, General is the much larger standard biology bachelor’s at 83,027 completions. This CIP (26.9999, 2,089 completions) is the residual catchall — programs the school has chosen not to classify under the standard biology code. The wage data is similar (bachelor’s grads at $70,409 here, broadly in line with biology programs nationally) because the labor market is the same. If you’re considering a 26.9999 program, ask why the school chose "Other" instead of 26.0101 — the answer reveals the specialty.
What jobs do graduates land?
Bachelor’s-accessible roles include Biological scientists, all other ($93,330 — but a residual SOC catch-all, treat the wage cautiously), Life scientists all other ($87,800 — also a residual), and entry-level positions: lab technician, biotech research associate, clinical research associate, biotech sales specialist, and pre-health applicants in clinical-scribe or patient-care roles. Higher-paying tracked occupations require master’s or doctoral credentials.
Do I need a master’s or PhD?
For higher-paying named tracks, yes. Biological science postsecondary teachers ($83,460) require a doctorate, and most named scientist roles in this CIP land on bachelor’s as typical credential — but the realistic competitive bench-research landscape often requires a master’s or PhD for promotion past the technician level. Pre-med, dental, PA, and pharmacy graduate-school pathways all require professional graduate degrees.
Why does Penn State Main dominate this CIP?
Penn State-Main produces 330 completions in 26.9999 — almost twice the next school. The university classifies certain integrative or specialized biology tracks under this CIP rather than the standard 26.0101. Other top producers — Ventura College (221, associate’s), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (177), Solano CC (158), University of Western States (149), Indiana U-Bloomington (132) — combine California community-college transfer pipelines with research-university programs. The mix of associate’s and bachelor’s tells the same story: 26.9999 is heterogeneous.
Is the bachelor’s worth it given the modest entry pay?
If you’re committed to graduate or professional school, yes — the bachelor’s is a necessary foundation for biology master’s, biomed PhDs, medical, dental, PA, or pharmacy school admission. The data shows associate’s grads at $38,396 versus bachelor’s at $70,409 — a $32,000 gap, mostly reflecting that biology associate’s grads work in low-pay tech roles or transfer-platform-pause states, while bachelor’s grads access broader bench, public-health, and pre-health applicant tracks. Associate’s alone caps low; bachelor’s plus graduate work is where the wage upside lives.