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Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 26.0401 - 26.0499.

Types of Degrees Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences Majors Are Earning

Those studying Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	6
Bachelor’s Degree	4,680
Master’s Degree	856
Doctor’s Degree	813

What Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences Majors Need to Know

Programs in Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences graduates include:

• Lecturer
• College Faculty Member
• College Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Instructor
• University Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Professor
• Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• Cytologist
• Scientist
• Physical Therapy Teacher
• Roentgenology Teacher
• Respiratory Therapy Instructor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	35.1%
Master’s degree	18.6%
Post-doctoral training	13.8%
Doctoral degree	13.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	8.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.7%
Postsecondary certificate	3.0%
Some college courses	1.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.2%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 63.6% of Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	4,043	63.6%
Men	2,312	36.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,358	37.1%
Asian	1,776	27.9%
Hispanic or Latino	870	13.7%
Black or African American	237	3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	20	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6	0.1%
Two or More Races	345	5.4%
Race Unknown	129	2.0%
International Students	614	9.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$39,752
4 years	$59,833
5 years	$74,905

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $74,905 — roughly 88% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Cell Biology & Anatomical 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
Bachelor’s	2	0
Master’s	1	2
Doctoral (Research)	1	1

^{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 Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences graduates earn a median of $59,833 four years after completion — roughly 57% 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Biological Biomedical Sciences	179,083
Biology, General	101,585
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	13,820
Neurobiology and Neurosciences	12,819
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences	11,175
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology	9,295
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology	4,711
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other	4,612
Biotechnology	3,869
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology	3,638
Zoology/Animal Biology	3,408
Genetics	1,733

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.