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Major · Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Cell and molecular biology is a launching pad, not a destination

This major trains you in the chemistry and machinery of living cells, and most of the careers it leads to require a graduate or professional degree. Treat the bachelor’s as the first half of a longer plan that runs through grad school, med school, or a research lab.

Schools offering
70
Annual completions
3,392
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$69k

About this major

Cell and molecular biology studies how cells are built, how they communicate, and how molecules like DNA, proteins, and lipids drive everything a living organism does. The CIP definition pulls together cell biology, cell chemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, and structural biology under one program. Coursework typically runs through general and organic chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, and a sequence of upper-division electives in topics such as cancer biology, immunology, and molecular genetics. Expect heavy lab time and the steady use of techniques like PCR, gel electrophoresis, microscopy, and cell culture.

The major fits students who want to understand mechanism — why a cell divides, how a virus enters a host, how a drug binds its target — and who are willing to follow that curiosity through graduate or professional school. Of the five careers most aligned with this major, three list a doctoral or professional degree as typical entry-level education: medical scientists ($100,590 median), postsecondary biology teachers ($83,460), and parts of the biological scientists category. The others — natural sciences managers ($161,180) and biological technicians ($52,000) — sit at very different points in a long career arc.

A grounded marker: 3,392 students completed this major across 70 institutions, compared with 83,027 in Biology, General. The narrower footprint signals a self-selecting group of research-leaning undergraduates rather than a broad pre-health crowd, and the program list skews toward large public research universities and selective private campuses.

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
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists $101k +8.7% Doctoral or professional 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
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

$78k

Bachelor's

$69k

Who this major is for

Strong fit if you already gravitate toward wet-lab work, enjoy chemistry as much as biology, and are comfortable planning a five-to-ten-year horizon that includes graduate or professional school. The career data backs this framing: with a median wage of $100,590, medical scientist roles open up after a doctoral or professional degree, and natural sciences manager positions at $161,180 sit further down the same pipeline. Students who use undergraduate years to build research hours, faculty relationships, and a competitive GPA tend to land where they want.

Reconsider if your priority is a high-paying job straight out of a four-year program. The bachelor’s-only ceiling shows up clearly in the data — biological technician roles pay $52,000 at median and grow only 3.5 percent — and the median 5-year earnings figure of $69,125 reflects how many graduates are still in school or in entry-level lab roles. Reconsider also if you dislike chemistry coursework, since organic chemistry and biochemistry are central, or if you want a major that translates directly into business, policy, or applied technical work without further schooling. In those cases, Biology, General or Biomedical Sciences may map to your goals with less of a research-track commitment.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA 0 691 691
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL 0 282 282
University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 0 276 276
University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA 0 229 229
Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD 0 181 181
University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA 0 179 179
University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 0 164 164
University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA 0 147 147
University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO 0 122 122
Yale University New Haven, CT 0 83 83
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Biology/Biological Sciences, General

83,027 completions/yr

Neuroscience

9,625 completions/yr

Biochemistry

8,736 completions/yr

Biomedical Sciences, General

6,553 completions/yr

Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology

5,770 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

Can I get a good job with just a bachelor’s in cell and molecular biology?
Yes, but the bachelor’s-only ceiling is real. Common direct-hire roles are biological technician (median $52,000) and lab-adjacent positions in pharma, biotech, and academic labs. The higher-paying careers tied to this major — medical scientists at $100,590 and postsecondary biology teachers at $83,460 — both list a doctoral or professional degree as typical entry-level education. Plan for graduate school if those are your targets.
How does this differ from Biology, General or Biochemistry?
Biology, General is broader and more flexible across ecology, organismal biology, and pre-health tracks; it had 83,027 completions versus 3,392 for cell/molecular. Biochemistry leans heavier on chemistry coursework. Cell and molecular biology sits in the middle, with a research orientation focused on what happens inside cells and at the molecular level. Pick this concentration if wet-lab research, genetics, or structural biology already pull you in.
Is this a good pre-med major?
It can be. The required coursework — general biology, organic chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, cell biology — overlaps heavily with med-school prerequisites. Admissions committees do not prefer biology majors over other applicants with strong GPAs and MCAT scores, so the major itself is not the edge. What matters is grades, MCAT, clinical hours, and research experience.
Why is the median 5-year earnings figure around $69,000?
Because many graduates are still in graduate or professional school five years out, or working as lab technicians while applying. Earnings five years post-bachelor’s undercount what cell and molecular biology majors eventually make once they finish a PhD, MD, PA, or pharmacy program. The number reflects an early-career snapshot of a long pipeline.
How much does undergraduate research experience matter?
A lot. PhD programs, medical schools, and competitive industry research positions all weigh hands-on lab time heavily. Look for programs that offer paid summer research, honors thesis tracks, or partnerships with nearby medical centers. Schools with high completion volumes such as UC Berkeley (691), Illinois Urbana-Champaign (282), and UCLA (276) tend to have larger research ecosystems for undergraduates.
What does an associate degree in this field actually do?
Very little on its own for cell and molecular biology specifically. Associate-level completions in this CIP code show a higher reported median ($77,786) than bachelor’s ($68,877), but the sample is small and the pathway is unusual — most students transfer into a four-year program rather than enter the workforce. Treat the associate as a transfer step toward a bachelor’s.