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Physiology & Pathology Sciences

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 26.0901 - 26.0999.

Types of Degrees Physiology & Pathology Sciences Majors Are Earning

Those studying Physiology & Pathology Sciences may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	93
Bachelor’s Degree	8,087
Master’s Degree	2,329
Doctor’s Degree	666

What Physiology & Pathology Sciences Majors Need to Know

Programs in Physiology & Pathology Sciences build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Physiology & Pathology Sciences graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Physiology & Pathology Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Physiology & Pathology Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Physiology & Pathology Sciences careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Physiology & Pathology Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Physiology & Pathology Sciences professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Physiology & Pathology Sciences graduates include:

• Assistant Professor
• Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Faculty Member
• Adjunct Instructor
• Professor
• College Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Lecturer
• Embryology Teacher
• Embryology Professor
• Biochemistry Teacher
• Genetics Teacher
• Biological Sciences Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	27.4%
Master’s degree	22.9%
Bachelor’s degree	21.8%
Post-doctoral training	21.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.2%
Postsecondary certificate	1.7%
Post-master’s certificate	1.0%
Some college courses	0.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%
First professional degree	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Physiology & Pathology Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 62.6% of Physiology & Pathology Sciences degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6,997	62.6%
Men	4,178	37.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Physiology & Pathology Sciences graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6,501	58.2%
Asian	1,052	9.4%
Hispanic or Latino	1,383	12.4%
Black or African American	697	6.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	29	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	22	0.2%
Two or More Races	520	4.7%
Race Unknown	264	2.4%
International Students	707	6.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Physiology & Pathology Sciences Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Physiology & Pathology Sciences graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,024
4 years	$53,598
5 years	$65,802

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,802 — roughly 105% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Physiology & Pathology Sciences Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Physiology & Pathology 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
Associate’s	1	0
Bachelor’s	3	4
Master’s	9	9
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 Physiology & Pathology Sciences Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Physiology & Pathology Sciences graduates earn a median of $53,598 four years after completion — roughly 41% 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
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology	9,295
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences	6,355
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.