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High school biology teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a high school biology teacher. High school biology teachers usually study biology, secondary education and teaching, or general education, specific areas. 72% of high school biology teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 415 real high school biology teacher resumes to see exactly what high school biology teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for high school biology teachers are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.
There are also many online high school biology teacher courses to help get the education required to be a high school biology teacher.
What education do you need to become a high school biology teacher?
What degree do you need to be a high school biology teacher?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a high school biology teacher?
Most common colleges for high school biology teachers
| High school biology teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Florida | 8.77% |
| Mississippi State University | 8.77% |
| Western Washington University | 7.02% |
| University of Connecticut | 5.26% |
| Texas A&M University | 5.26% |
Best majors for high school biology teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 45.0% |
| 2 | Secondary Education And Teaching | 6.7% |
| 3 | General Education, Specific Areas | 6.3% |
| 4 | Education | 6.0% |
| 5 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 5.7% |
Best colleges for high school biology teachers
The best colleges for high school biology teachers are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A high school biology teacher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for high school biology teachers. 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 high school biology teachers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for high school biology teachers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for high school biology teachers
The most affordable schools for high school biology teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for high school biology teachers 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 high school biology teachers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for high school biology teachers
The hardest universities for high school biology teachers to get into are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for high school biology teachers 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 high school biology teachers 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
10. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for high school biology teachers
The easiest schools for high school biology teachers to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and san francisco state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a high school biology teacher 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 high school biology teachers.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
4. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
7. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
8. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
9. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,019
10. College of Mount Saint Vincent
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,021
Average high school biology teacher salary by education level
| High school biology teacher education level | High school biology teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,513 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,642 |
| Doctorate Degree | $60,119 |
High school biology teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025