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Biological & Physical Science

Instructional content is defined in code 30.0101.

Types of Degrees Biological & Physical Science Majors Are Earning

Those studying Biological & Physical Science may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	40
Associate’s Degree	23,421
Bachelor’s Degree	2,352
Master’s Degree	2,126
Doctor’s Degree	94

What Biological & Physical Science Majors Need to Know

Programs in Biological & Physical Science develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Biological & Physical Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Biological & Physical Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Biological & Physical Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Biological & Physical Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Biological & Physical Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Google Meet	Video conferencing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
StataCorp Stata	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Biological & Physical Science graduates include:

• Military Science Instructor
• Teacher
• Science Teacher
• Interdisciplinary Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• College Teacher
• City Planning Teacher
• Associate Professor
• Braille Teacher
• Urban Planning Teacher
• Industrial Arts Teacher
• Interior Design Teacher
• Humanities Teacher
• Packaging Professor
• Project Management Professor

What Can You Do With a Biological & Physical Science Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Biological & Physical Science commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	1.8%	$77,927	$66,306–$89,549

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	63.6%
Master’s degree	8.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.9%
Postsecondary certificate	4.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.6%
Some college courses	3.5%
Post-doctoral training	3.4%
Post-master’s certificate	3.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.7%
Doctoral degree	2.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Biological & Physical Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 62% of Biological & Physical Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	17,371	62.0%
Men	10,662	38.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Biological & Physical Science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	8,809	31.4%
Asian	4,424	15.8%
Hispanic or Latino	10,568	37.7%
Black or African American	1,446	5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	60	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	75	0.3%
Two or More Races	1,292	4.6%
Race Unknown	665	2.4%
International Students	694	2.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Biological & Physical Science Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Biological & Physical Science 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	$36,503
4 years	$45,280
5 years	$54,313

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $54,313 — roughly 49% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Biological & Physical Science Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Biological & Physical Science. 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	13	11
Bachelor’s	3	6
Master’s	2	5

^{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 Biological & Physical Science Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Biological & Physical Science graduates earn a median of $45,280 four years after completion — roughly 19% 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
Multi Interdisciplinary Studies	134,694
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	30,141
Data Analytics	12,891
Data Science	7,716
International/Globalization Studies	5,740
Nutrition Sciences	5,456
Behavioral Sciences	5,391
Sustainability Studies	4,374
Cognitive Science	3,121
Natural Sciences	2,648
Computational Science	2,395
Human Computer Interaction	2,298

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.