undergradly.
Major · Health Professions

Specialized lab-science programs that don’t fit a named CIP

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions, Other (CIP 51.1099) is a catchall for specialized lab-science programs — pharmaceutical technician training is one example — that don’t map cleanly to the named codes for MLS, MLT, cytotechnology, histology, or phlebotomy. About 664 degrees are awarded annually across 28 colleges, with associate’s grads near $57K and bachelor’s grads near $78K five years out.

Schools offering
28
Annual completions
664
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$70k

About this major

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions, Other (CIP 51.1099) is a catchall code in federal education data. Its formal definition is plain: any instructional program in clinical or medical laboratory science and allied professions not listed under one of the named codes in the 51.10 family. The packet lists Pharmaceutical Technician as the named example, but the umbrella also collects programs in specialized lab operations, allied analytical training, and niche bench concentrations that institutions design around regional employers. Specific program content varies considerably from one school to another.

What shows up in this CIP depends on how each institution reports its specialized programs to IPEDS. Two students with the same credential title may have followed substantially different curricula and ended up qualified for different roles. The 28 colleges offering this code range from Grand Canyon University, an online-heavy platform with 299 bachelor’s completions, to public regional universities like Cleveland State (159 bachelor’s), Rutgers-New Brunswick (43), University of Idaho (38), and Oregon Institute of Technology (30). Because the institution and program name carry more signal than the CIP label, the syllabus is the source of truth, not the federal classification.

About 664 degrees are awarded annually under this code. Earnings split sharply by credential level: associate’s completers reach a five-year median of roughly $57,357, and bachelor’s completers about $77,688 — a gap of more than $20,000. That spread is wider than in most named lab-science codes and tracks the heterogeneity of programs filed here. The single career listed in the packet, Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary at $105,620, requires a doctoral or professional degree, so it cannot be read as a typical bachelor’s destination — it signals that no standard BLS occupation maps cleanly to this CIP.

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
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary $106k +17.3% Doctoral or professional 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

$70k

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

Associate's

$57k

Bachelor's

$78k

Who this major is for

Good signs this major fits: a specific program at a specific institution genuinely matches your interest — pharmaceutical technician work, a regional pharma or biotech employer pipeline, or a specialized lab concentration not covered by the named codes. You’re comfortable verifying the credential gate yourself, whether that’s a PTCB pharmacy-technician exam, an ASCP-aligned bench credential, or a state-specific license. The bachelor’s outcome ($77,688 five-year median) gives you a defensible floor if the program leads to laboratory operations, quality, or regulatory roles in industry. And you’re choosing this school because of what it teaches, not because the CIP label sounds adjacent to a named credential.

Reasons to pause: if your goal is to become a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) or Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT), enroll directly in CIP 51.1005 (3,097 annual completions) or 51.1004 (2,551 completions) — those programs have NAACLS accreditation and ASCP exams built in. If you want histology, cytotechnology, or phlebotomy, the named codes (51.1007, 51.1002, 51.1009) carry the same credential clarity. Reconsider this route if the only thing pulling you toward CIP 51.1099 is the category name; without a specific program identified, the umbrella tells you almost nothing about what you’ll study or what jobs you’ll be qualified for. And treat the listed career data with caution — Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary is a doctoral-level academic role, not a typical bachelor’s destination.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions, Other

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ 0 299 299
Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH 0 159 159
Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ 0 43 43
University of Idaho Moscow, ID 0 38 38
Oregon Institute of Technology Klamath Falls, OR 0 30 30
Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO 0 21 21
Thomas University Thomasville, GA 0 17 17
La Sierra University Riverside, CA 0 13 13
Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI 0 12 12
Grossmont College El Cajon, CA 7 0 7
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist

3,097 completions/yr

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Technician

2,551 completions/yr

Histologic Technician

140 completions/yr

Histologic Technology/Histotechnologist

60 completions/yr

Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist

42 completions/yr

Dental Services and Allied Professions, Other

27 completions/yr

Cytogenetics/Genetics/Clinical Genetics Technology/Technologist

23 completions/yr

Phlebotomy Technician/Phlebotomist

19 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does ‘Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions, Other’ actually mean?
CIP 51.1099 is a federal catchall: it captures any clinical or medical laboratory science program that doesn’t fit one of the named codes in the 51.10 family. The packet lists Pharmaceutical Technician as one explicit example, but the category also catches niche concentrations in laboratory operations, allied bench roles, and specialized analytical training that institutions design to fit local employers. Two students both holding this credential may have studied substantially different curricula, which is why the institution and program name carry more signal than the CIP label.
How does this compare to MLS (51.1005) or MLT (51.1004)?
The named codes are much larger and more standardized. Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technologist (CIP 51.1005) is the bachelor’s-level MLS credential with 3,097 completions a year and a clear path to the ASCP MLS exam. Clinical/Medical Laboratory Technician (CIP 51.1004) is the associate’s-level MLT credential with 2,551 completions and the ASCP MLT exam. CIP 51.1099 sits next to both, but the curricula and credential gates depend on which program your institution offers — they may or may not lead to the same certifications.
Is there a clean BLS career mapping for graduates?
Not really. The packet’s only listed career is Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary — a doctoral-level academic role at $105,620 median that almost no bachelor’s graduate enters directly. That’s a sign the CIP doesn’t map to a single named occupation. In practice, where graduates land depends on the specific program: pharmaceutical technician programs feed pharma manufacturing and quality roles, while other 51.1099 programs lead to bench, instrumentation, or laboratory-operations work.
Does ASCP certification or NAACLS accreditation apply here?
Sometimes, but not by default. NAACLS accreditation and ASCP Board of Certification exams are tied to the named codes — MLS (51.1005), MLT (51.1004), Cytotechnology (51.1002), Histology (51.1007/51.1008), and Phlebotomy (51.1009). A program filed under 51.1099 may align with one of those credentials, may carry its own industry certification (for example, pharmacy technician CPhT through PTCB or NHA), or may carry no formal credential at all. Verify what national exam, license, or certification your specific program prepares you for before enrolling.
Why is the bachelor’s earnings number so much higher than the associate’s?
The packet shows associate’s graduates earning roughly $57,357 five years out and bachelor’s graduates earning about $77,688 — a gap of more than $20,000. That spread reflects how heterogeneous this CIP is. Associate’s programs here trend toward technician roles like pharmaceutical technician, where the 5-year median tracks BLS lab-technician benchmarks. Bachelor’s programs more often feed laboratory operations, regulatory, or quality positions in pharma, biotech, or hospital settings, where credentials and oversight responsibilities raise the wage floor.
Where are programs concentrated, and what should I read into the school list?
Grand Canyon University leads with 299 bachelor’s completions, followed by Cleveland State (159 bachelor’s), Rutgers-New Brunswick (43), University of Idaho (38), and Oregon Institute of Technology (30). Grand Canyon’s volume reflects a large online platform rather than a uniquely strong on-campus program, so the share is misleading without context. The other top schools are regional public universities running specialized lab-science tracks. Because CIP 51.1099 is a catchall, the school you choose effectively defines the major — ask each program directly which industry credential it prepares you for and which employers hire its graduates.