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Human Biology

Instructional content is defined in code 30.2701.

Types of Degrees Human Biology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Human Biology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	86
Bachelor’s Degree	2,071
Master’s Degree	41
Doctor’s Degree	8

What Human Biology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Human Biology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Human Biology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Human Biology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Human Biology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Human Biology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Human Biology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 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
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Human Biology 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	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Human Biology graduates include:

• Lecturer
• Family Consumer Science Teacher
• Liberal Arts Teacher
• Military Science Teacher
• City Planning Teacher
• Weight Control Lecturer
• Social Science Professor
• Survey Research Teacher
• Science Teacher
• Humanities Teacher
• College Teacher
• Survey Research Professor
• Naval Science Teacher
• Urban Planning Teacher
• Labor Relations Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	33.6%
Post-doctoral training	19.3%
Master’s degree	18.5%
Doctoral degree	15.3%
Postsecondary certificate	3.7%
Some college courses	3.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Human Biology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 74.6% of Human Biology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,645	74.6%
Men	561	25.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	653	29.6%
Asian	627	28.4%
Hispanic or Latino	406	18.4%
Black or African American	249	11.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.2%
Two or More Races	150	6.8%
Race Unknown	48	2.2%
International Students	64	2.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Human Biology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Human Biology 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	$31,054
4 years	$57,920
5 years	$68,953

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $68,953 — roughly 122% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Human Biology Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Human Biology. 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
Master’s	1	0

^{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 Human Biology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Human Biology graduates earn a median of $57,920 four years after completion — roughly 52% 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
Biological and Physical Sciences	28,033
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

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.