Biologist education requirements

Q: How long does it take to get a Ph.D. in biology?

It takes between five to seven years to get a Ph.D. in biology. This also depends on a variety of factors, including the type of degree you have chosen to obtain, your educational background, and the specific doctoral program in which you have enrolled in.

Q: What degree do you need to be an astrobiologist?

You typically need a master's degree to work as an astrobiologist. While the paths to becoming an astrobiologist can vary, most require a master's or Ph.D. Aspiring astrobiologists can consider several majors en route to their advanced degree in astrobiology. Earning your BS in a major such as biology, chemistry, or astrology is suitable preparation for an advanced degree in astrobiology.

Q: What job can you get with a biological science degree?

There are many jobs you can get with a biological science degree, such as forensic scientist, environmental engineer, and professor. These all require specific requirements, but a degree in biological science is extremely beneficial to all of these career paths.

Q: What job can you get with a biology degree?

You can get many different jobs with a biology degree, such as biology teacher, ecologist, or cell biologist. While all of these career paths require a strong background in biology, they all require different things that could interest different people and personalities. Biology Teacher If you are passionate about biology as well as teaching, becoming a biology teacher is a great fit. Biology teachers will often hold degrees or certifications in teaching as well as biology. It is important to know what the qualifications to become a teacher are in your state, as it varies. Teachers will work with students to teach them the basics of biology. Ecologist An ecologist is a scientist that studies the relationship between organisms and their habitats. They work to solve environmental problems that risk these delicate relationships. Most ecologists will hold graduate degrees in ecology, biology, or a related field. Ecologists can work in a variety of locations and with a variety of people, so there are many different choices. Cell Biologists Cell biologists are biologists that study the structure, function, and behavior of cells. They will often hold doctorate degrees in biology and work in laboratory settings with other scientists where they can do research and development. Many cell biologists work to understand and try to cure many diseases and ailments, such as various kinds of cancers.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a biologist. Biologists usually study biology, ecology, population biology, and epidemiology, or environmental science. 78% of biologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,713 real biologist resumes to see exactly what biologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for biologists are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

There are also many online biologist courses to help get the education required to be a biologist.

There are certain biologist certifications that you should consider. These biologist certifications include Certified Environmental Professional: Environmental Operations and Specialist in Molecular Biology (SMB).

What education do you need to become a biologist?

What degree do you need to be a biologist?

The most common degree for biologists is bachelor's degree, with 78% of biologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 78%

Master's, 13%

Associate, 5%

Doctorate, 3%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a biologist?

You should major in biology to become a biologist. 48% of biologists major in biology. Other common majors for a biologist include ecology, population biology, and epidemiology and environmental science.

Biology, 48%

Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology, 10%

Environmental Science, 10%

Wildlife Management, 4%

Other Majors, 28%

Most common colleges for biologists

Biologists often get their degrees at University of California, Santa Barbara, Texas A&M; University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for biologists in the US based on their resumes.

Biologist common college	Percentages
University of California, Santa Barbara	10.38%
Texas A&M University	8.02%
Pennsylvania State University	7.31%
Humboldt State University	6.84%
University of California - Davis	5.90%

Show more common biologist colleges

Best majors for biologists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Biology	47.6%
2	Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology	10.4%
3	Environmental Science	10.1%
4	Wildlife Management	4.4%
5	Zoology	4.2%

Show more common biologist majors

Best colleges for biologists

The best colleges for biologists are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.

A biologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for biologists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become biologists.

1. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

20 best online courses for biologists

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4. The Complete MARINE BIOLOGY 101 Course, Beginner to Advanced

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5. Introduction to Biology: Ecology, Evolution, & Biodiversity

In this 3-course specialization, you will learn to see nature the way a biologist does. You will gain an understanding and appreciation for the incredible diversity of life and the interdependence of all living things. You will explore what we know about the origins of life and how biologists have advanced the science of evolution since Charles Darwin's lifetime, as well as the many applications of evolutionary biology to our everyday lives; you will examine the characteristics, functions,...

6. Total Data Quality

This specialization aims to explore the Total Data Quality framework in depth and provide learners with more information about the detailed evaluation of total data quality that needs to happen prior to data analysis. The goal is for learners to incorporate evaluations of data quality into their process as a critical component for all projects. We sincerely hope to disseminate knowledge about total data quality to all learners, such as data scientists and quantitative analysts, who have not had...

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9. Plant Bioinformatic Methods

The past 15 years have been exciting ones in plant biology. Hundreds of plant genomes have been sequenced, RNA-seq has enabled transcriptome-wide expression profiling, and a proliferation of "-seq"-based methods has permitted protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions to be determined cheaply and in a high-throughput manner. These data sets in turn allow us to generate hypotheses at the click of a mouse or tap of a finger.The Plant Bioinformatics Specialization on Coursera introduces core...

10. Chemical Biology

Chemical biology is a burgeoning field that has rapidly risen to prominence. This surge of interest has been fuelled by chemical biology’s applicability to understanding critical processes in live cells or model organisms in real time. This success has arisen because chemical biology straddles a nexus between chemistry, biology, and physics. Thus, chemical biology can harness rapid chemistry to observe or perturb biological processes, that are in turn reported using physical assays, all in an...

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19. Statistics / Data Analysis: Survey Data and Likert Scales

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20. 4x1 Data Management/Governance/Security/Ethics Masterclass

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Top 10 most affordable universities for biologists

The most affordable schools for biologists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for biologists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for biologists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

9. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for biologists

The hardest universities for biologists to get into are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for biologists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for biologists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

9. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for biologists

The easiest schools for biologists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, curry college, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a biologist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for biologists.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

7. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

10. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

Average biologist salary by education level

Biologists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $77,088 annually. With a Master's degree, biologists earn a median annual income of $67,276 compared to $62,046 for biologists with an Bachelor's degree.

Biologist education level	Biologist salary
Master's Degree	$67,276
Bachelor's Degree	$62,046
Doctorate Degree	$77,088

Biologist education FAQs

How long does it take to get a Ph.D. in biology?

What degree do you need to be an astrobiologist?

What job can you get with a biological science degree?

What job can you get with a biology degree?

What is the best college for Biologists?

Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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