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Biology faculty member education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a biology faculty member. Biology faculty members usually study biology, biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, or psychology. 71% of biology faculty members hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 203 real biology faculty member resumes to see exactly what biology faculty member education sections show.
The most common colleges for biology faculty members are the University of Wisconsin Colleges and the University of Wisconsin Colleges.
There are also many online biology faculty member courses to help get the education required to be a biology faculty member.
What education do you need to become a biology faculty member?
What degree do you need to be a biology faculty member?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 16%
- Doctorate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a biology faculty member?
- Biology, 53%
- Psychology, 5%
- Microbiology, 4%
- Other Majors, 30%
Most common colleges for biology faculty members
| Biology faculty member common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 7.50% |
| University of California, Berkeley | 7.50% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 7.50% |
| University of South Carolina - Columbia | 5.00% |
| Wright State University | 5.00% |
Best majors for biology faculty members
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 52.8% |
| 2 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 7.5% |
| 3 | Psychology | 5.0% |
| 4 | Microbiology | 3.8% |
| 5 | Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology | 3.8% |
Best colleges for biology faculty members
The best colleges for biology faculty members are Harvard University, Stanford University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A biology faculty member with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for biology faculty members. 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 biology faculty members.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,700
Enrollment
29,722
20 best online courses for biology faculty members
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1. 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...
2. Cancer Biology
The healthcare system is a rapidly evolving field with new research leading to advancements in medicine. Developed at Johns Hopkins University and led by top-ranked Hopkins faculty and cancer experts, this specialization on Cancer Biology focuses on the basics of cancer biology, how cancer metastasis occurs, and specifically, screening guidelines for prostate cancer, the most common cancer in American men.\n\nThis specialization starts with an Introduction to the Biology of Cancer, introduces...
3. General Biology I: Foundations of Biology
An essential course in Biology for students of all ages...
4. The Complete MARINE BIOLOGY 101 Course, Beginner to Advanced
The NEW course with everything you need on Marine Biology - 2021 Online CERTIFICATE - Taught by a real marine biologist!...
5. Biology Everywhere
Where have you experienced biology today? Journey through the science of life through the lens of our daily lives. This specialization is intended to bridge the gap between traditional biology classes and the practical biology knowledge needed in the real world. In each module, a different biological concept is examined and related to some real-world issues or experiences in an effort to demonstrate why the science of life matters to your everyday experience. Content includes subjects typically...
6. Biology Everywhere Foundations
In this course, we will explore the nature of science and biology. We will discuss what the “biology everywhere” philosophy means and the history of the “biology everywhere” project. We will also discuss what science (and biology) are as a discipline of inquiry and how chemistry is foundational to understanding biology...
7. Introductory Biology
Life around us is simply amazing. I'll show you why...
8. Biotechnology: Antibodies & their role in Therapeutics
Learn about Antibodies: Their Structure, Types, Functions and Role in Therapeutics & Diagnostics Immunology Biology...
9. The Little Stuff: Energy, Cells, and Genetics
In this course, we will explore the smaller side of biology: molecular biology. We’ll cover basic topics including cell biology and how cells can go “rogue” and turn into cancer, how energy from the sun is transferred to fuel our bodies, basics of genetics and inheritance, and genetic technologies. At the end of this course, we will discuss ethical and moral implications of several exciting and new genetic technologies...
10. Lactation Biology
Lactation and especially milk, which is the product of that unique mammalian process, are routinely encountered within our daily lives. Nevertheless, they often are poorly understood by many, even including many who are engaged in the business of producing milk. The overall course goal is to introduce fundamental concepts that form the basis for understanding the biology of lactation, the biology of the mammary gland, and the products of that important physiological process. As a learner in...
11. Cancer Biology 101
Risk factors, how cancer grows, and how to treat it...
12. Genetics and Next Generation Sequencing for Bioinformatics
For software professionals entering Bioinformatics: DNA sequencing data analysis, NGS, & Biology prerequisites...
13. Systems Biology and Biotechnology Capstone
NOTE: In order to take this course you should have taken and complete the following courses in the Signature Track: Introduction to Systems Biology, Network Analysis in Systems Biology, Dynamical Modeling Methods for Systems Biology, Experimental Methods in SB and Integrated Analysis In Systems Biology...
14. Experimental Methods in Systems Biology
Learn about the technologies underlying experimentation used in systems biology, with particular focus on RNA sequencing, mass spec-based proteomics, flow/mass cytometry and live-cell imaging. A key driver of the systems biology field is the technology allowing us to delve deeper and wider into how cells respond to experimental perturbations. This in turns allows us to build more detailed quantitative models of cellular function, which can give important insight into applications ranging from...
15. Ancient Ireland: Culture and Society
Explore Ireland's ancient past with a look at the society and culture of the early Irish people...
16. Systems Biology and Biotechnology
Design systems-level experiments using appropriate cutting edge techniques, collect big data, and analyze and interpret small and big data sets quantitatively.\n\nThe Systems Biology Specialization covers the concepts and methodologies used in systems-level analysis of biomedical systems. Successful participants will learn how to use experimental, computational and mathematical methods in systems biology and how to design practical systems-level frameworks to address questions in a variety of...
17. 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,...
18. Introduction to Genetics and Evolution
Introduction to Genetics and Evolution is a college-level class being offered simultaneously to new students at Duke University. The course gives interested people a very basic overview of some principles behind these very fundamental areas of biology. We often hear about new "genome sequences," commercial kits that can tell you about your ancestry (including pre-human) from your DNA or disease predispositions, debates about the truth of evolution, why animals behave the way they do, and how...
19. Introduction to the Biology of Cancer
Over 500,000 people in the United States and over 8 million people worldwide are dying every year from cancer. As people live longer, the incidence of cancer is rising worldwide and the disease is expected to strike over 20 million people annually by 2030. This open course is designed for people who would like to develop an understanding of cancer and how it is prevented, diagnosed, and treated. The course introduces the molecular biology of cancer (oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes) as well...
20. Animals and Society
Animals matter for human existence in so many ways that it is difficult to imagine the entity we call “society” without them. They figure heavily in our language, food, clothing, family structure, economy, education, entertainment, science, recreation, and other areas of social life. In this specialization, we will investigate a range of topics, many of them controversial. Although this is a sociology course, the field of human-animal studies is interdisciplinary. Many of the suggested readings...
Top 10 most affordable universities for biology faculty members
The most affordable schools for biology faculty members are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for biology faculty members 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 biology faculty members.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for biology faculty members
The hardest universities for biology faculty members to get into are Harvard University, Stanford University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for biology faculty members 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 biology faculty members 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for biology faculty members
The easiest schools for biology faculty members to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and life university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a biology faculty member 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 biology faculty members.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average biology faculty member salary by education level
| Biology faculty member education level | Biology faculty member salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $57,433 |
| Doctorate Degree | $68,637 |
Biology faculty member education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025