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Zoology

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 26.0701 - 26.0799.

Types of Degrees Zoology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Zoology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	6
Associate’s Degree	50
Bachelor’s Degree	2,783
Master’s Degree	327
Doctor’s Degree	242

What Zoology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Zoology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Zoology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Zoology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Zoology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Zoology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Zoology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Zoology professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Zoology graduates include:

• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Manager
• Clinical Research Monitor
• Clinical Coordinator
• Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Research Manager
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Clinical Trial Coordinator
• Clinical Research Administrator
• Clinical Program Manager
• Postdoctoral Fellow
• Clinical Study Manager

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	40.1%
Master’s degree	20.3%
Post-doctoral training	14.0%
Doctoral degree	12.1%
Postsecondary certificate	3.6%
Some college courses	2.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Zoology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 69.5% of Zoology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,370	69.5%
Men	1,038	30.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Zoology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,355	69.1%
Asian	194	5.7%
Hispanic or Latino	375	11.0%
Black or African American	95	2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	17	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.1%
Two or More Races	180	5.3%
Race Unknown	73	2.1%
International Students	116	3.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Zoology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Zoology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$29,186
4 years	$39,528
5 years	$51,678

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $51,678 — roughly 77% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Zoology Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Zoology. 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	3	1
Master’s	3	4

^{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 Zoology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Zoology graduates earn a median of $39,528 four years after completion — roughly 4% 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
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
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.