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Major · Biological & Biomedical Sciences

The foundational science behind living systems — broad by design

Biology/Biological Sciences, General covers the study of living organisms at every scale — cell biology, genetics, ecology, physiology, and more. It is one of the largest majors in the country, with over 83,000 degrees awarded annually across more than 1,700 colleges. The bachelor's is the standard entry credential for most roles in this field.

Schools offering
1,708
Annual completions
83,027
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$57k

About this major

Biology/Biological Sciences, General is defined — in the CIP taxonomy — as a program covering the study of living organisms at an introductory or undifferentiated level, with instruction spanning a variety of biological specializations. In practice, that means a curriculum anchored in cell biology, genetics, ecology, physiology, and evolution, with significant lab work woven throughout. The major is explicitly broad by design: programs vary meaningfully across institutions, with some oriented toward pre-health preparation, others toward research, and others toward environmental or secondary education tracks.

The major attracts students drawn to understanding how living systems work at multiple scales — from molecular mechanisms to ecosystem dynamics — and who haven't yet committed to a specific subspecialty. Comfort with quantitative reasoning helps, since coursework in genetics, ecology, and biochemistry all involve data analysis, though the math load is lighter than in chemistry or physics programs.

On the career side, the picture is honest. The two most commonly accessible bachelor's-entry roles are biological technician ($52,000 median wage) and forensic science technician ($67,440 median wage, with 12.8% projected growth — among the faster-growing occupations listed). Teaching is another common destination for those who complete educator certification, with secondary school biology teachers reporting a $64,580 median. Higher-ceiling roles — natural sciences managers at $161,180 median and senior biological scientists at $93,330 — typically require graduate training or substantial post-baccalaureate experience. At 83,027 completions annually across 1,708 colleges, biology is one of the most widely offered majors in US higher education, which directly shapes both the opportunity set and the competition students enter after graduation.

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
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education $65k -1.6% Bachelor's degree
Natural sciences managers $161k +3.7% Bachelor's degree
Biological technicians $52k +3.5% Bachelor's degree
Biological science teachers, postsecondary $83k +7.3% Doctoral or professional degree
Biological scientists, all other $93k +1.2% Bachelor's degree
Forensic science technicians $67k +12.8% Bachelor's degree
Food science technicians $49k +4.8% Associate's degree
Agricultural technicians $47k +4.3% Associate'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

$57k

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

Associate's

$44k

Bachelor's

$58k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you find living systems genuinely compelling across more than one scale — if cell biology, ecology, and evolutionary theory all hold your interest rather than just one. You may also fit well here if you're planning a pre-health or graduate-school trajectory and want a flexible science foundation before narrowing: the general biology path keeps options open in a way that more specialized majors (Biochemistry, Neuroscience) do not. You may be a good match if you enjoy lab environments, are comfortable producing written scientific analysis alongside bench work, and are drawn to careers like forensic science or biological research support — where a bachelor's is the listed entry credential.

Think twice if you're choosing general biology specifically because it sounds like a soft path into STEM — five-year bachelor's median earnings run about $58,010, and the higher-paying destinations almost universally require a graduate degree or years of experience beyond the four-year credential. Think twice if you want a direct, credential-to-career line: the associate's-to-bachelor's earnings gap here is narrower than in most science fields ($13,500), and many biology graduates spend years in roles that don't use the degree specifically before finding their footing. Think twice, too, if you already know you want to specialize — Biochemistry or Neuroscience will track more directly toward research and clinical roles, while the general major's breadth may feel unfocused if you enter with a defined goal.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Biology/Biological Sciences, General

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Florida International University Miami, FL 0 934 934
Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ 0 832 832
University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA 0 784 784
The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 0 744 744
Houston Community College Houston, TX 626 0 626
University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA 0 582 582
Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ 0 581 581
Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 0 580 580
University of Florida Gainesville, FL 0 577 577
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 0 571 571
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Biological and Physical Sciences

25,374 completions/yr

Mathematics, General

18,758 completions/yr

Social Sciences, General

14,846 completions/yr

Chemistry, General

12,173 completions/yr

Neuroscience

9,625 completions/yr

Biochemistry

8,736 completions/yr

Physics, General

7,501 completions/yr

Animal Sciences, General

6,799 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Biology/Biological Sciences, General field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Biology/Biological Sciences, General worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do biology majors actually study day-to-day?
The curriculum spans multiple scales and subdisciplines — cell biology, genetics, ecology, anatomy, physiology, and evolution typically anchor the core. Labs are a regular feature of the curriculum from the first year, and upper-division coursework pushes into more specialized territory: molecular biology, developmental biology, microbiology, or field ecology depending on the program. Most students spend time writing lab reports, running experiments, and working through quantitative analysis alongside lectures. The major is broad by CIP definition, meaning programs vary significantly — some lean toward pre-health preparation, others toward environmental or research tracks.
What are realistic earnings after a biology degree?
Five-year median earnings for this major run about $57,307 across degree levels. Bachelor's completers land at roughly $58,010 at that mark — a modest gap over associate's completers at $44,447. Compared to other STEM majors, these figures are on the lower end at the bachelor's level. Most of the higher-wage destinations in this field — natural sciences managers at $161,180 median, biological scientists at $93,330 — require significant post-baccalaureate experience or advanced degrees. Accessible bachelor's-entry roles like biological technicians ($52,000 median) and forensic science technicians ($67,440) anchor the more immediate earnings range.
What kinds of jobs do biology graduates end up in?
The most common early-career landing spots are biological technician ($52,000 median, 3.5% projected growth) and forensic science technician ($67,440 median, 12.8% growth — one of the faster-growing roles in the packet). Secondary school teaching ($64,580 median) is a common destination for students who complete educator certification. More senior roles — natural sciences managers ($161,180) and biological scientists, all other ($93,330) — typically require graduate training or years of bench experience. Biological science postsecondary teaching ($83,460) lists a doctoral degree as the typical entry credential. The bachelor's degree is the floor; the ceiling in most bio careers is set by what you do after it.
How does biology compare to more specialized majors in the same field?
General biology is the broadest option in its concentration family — intentionally undifferentiated, per its CIP definition. Biochemistry (about 8,736 completions annually) and Neuroscience (about 9,625 completions) are more targeted and share many of the same career outcomes via SOC overlap, but tend to attract students with more specific research or clinical interests. If your goal is medical school or pharmacy, a more specialized path may offer a tighter fit. If your goal is teaching, research support, or environmental science, the general major is a workable launchpad. Chemistry, General (12,173 completions) is also a related choice for students interested in lab science with a different analytical emphasis.
Do I need a bachelor's, or is an associate's enough for biology?
For most roles with a meaningful career ceiling, a bachelor's is necessary — biological technician, forensic science technician, and biological scientist all list bachelor's degree as the typical entry credential. That said, the earnings gap between degree levels is narrower here than in many STEM fields: bachelor's completers report five-year median earnings of about $58,010 versus $44,447 for associate's completers — a difference of roughly $13,500. The associate's is more useful as a transfer platform than as a terminal degree, since the roles accessible at that level tend to be lab support positions with limited advancement pathways.
How competitive is the job market for biology graduates?
The honest answer is: mixed. Job growth projections for most bio-adjacent occupations are modest — biological technicians at 3.5%, natural sciences managers at 3.7%, biological scientists at 1.2%, secondary teachers at -1.6%. Forensic science technicians (12.8%) are the standout. The bigger constraint is scale: biology is one of the largest majors in the US, with over 83,000 completions per year across 1,700+ colleges. The supply of biology bachelor's graduates routinely exceeds the number of direct-hire openings in research and science roles — which is why many graduates move into teaching, healthcare (via further credentialing), or adjacent industries rather than directly into biology-specific positions.