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Molecular biologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a molecular biologist. Molecular biologists usually study biology, biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, or microbiology. 61% of molecular biologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 499 real molecular biologist resumes to see exactly what molecular biologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for molecular biologists are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online molecular biologist courses to help get the education required to be a molecular biologist.
What education do you need to become a molecular biologist?
What degree do you need to be a molecular biologist?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 22%
- Doctorate, 14%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a molecular biologist?
- Biology, 35%
- Microbiology, 8%
- Biotechnology, 6%
- Other Majors, 32%
Most common colleges for molecular biologists
| Molecular biologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 11.76% |
| Georgia State University | 7.06% |
| Purdue University | 7.06% |
| Texas A&M University San Antonio | 7.06% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 5.88% |
Best majors for molecular biologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 34.7% |
| 2 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 19.4% |
| 3 | Microbiology | 8.0% |
| 4 | Biotechnology | 6.1% |
| 5 | Chemistry | 5.6% |
Best colleges for molecular biologists
The best colleges for molecular biologists are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Stanford University.
A molecular 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 molecular 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 molecular biologists.
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
20 best online courses for molecular biologists
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1. Extracellular Vesicles in Health and Disease
This course aims to provide current understanding about extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their role in health and diseases. The EVs are known to be involved in cell to cell communication. Apart from maintaining normal cell physiology, EVs deliver messages that can drive or influence the progression of a disease. This course discusses recent advances made in the field to give an introduction on their function in health as well as in disease.This course includes four modules. Module 1 is an...
2. 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...
3. Learn Molecular Docking From The Scratch
Kick start for molecular docking using Auto Dock...
4. Learn Molecular Dynamics from Scratch
Introduction to experimental approach of molecular dynamics using GROMACS...
5. Classical papers in molecular genetics
You have all heard about the DNA double helix and genes. Many of you know that mutations occur randomly, that the DNA sequence is read by successive groups of three bases (the codons), that many genes encode enzymes, and that gene expression can be regulated. These concepts were proposed on the basis of astute genetic experiments, as well as often on biochemical results. The original articles were these concepts appeared are however not frequently part of the normal curriculum of biologists,...
6. Infectious Disease Modelling
Mathematical modelling is increasingly being used to support public health decision-making in the control of infectious diseases. This specialisation aims to introduce some fundamental concepts of mathematical modelling with all modelling conducted in the programming language R - a widely used application today.\n\nThe specialisation will suit you if you have a basic working knowledge of R, but would also like to learn the necessary basic coding skills to write simple mathematical models in...
7. 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!...
8. Bioinformatics; Learn Docking & Mol Dynamics Simulation
Best Bioinformatics Course To Learn Advance Bioinformatics Techniques Like Docking & Molecular Dynamics Simulations...
9. Statistical Molecular Thermodynamics
This introductory physical chemistry course examines the connections between molecular properties and the behavior of macroscopic chemical systems...
10. 3D SARS-CoV-19 Protein Visualization With Biopython
In this project you will create an interactive three-dimensional (3D) representation of SARS-CoV-19 (Coronavirus) protein structures & publication-quality pictures of the same, understand properties of SARS-CoV-19 genome, handle biological sequence data stored in FASTA & PDB (Protein Data Bank) and XML format, and get insights from this data using Biopython. This hands-on project will also give you a glimpse of tasks a Bioinformatician performs on a daily basis, along with the up-to-date...
11. General Biology I: Foundations of Biology
An essential course in Biology for students of all ages...
12. Plant Bioinformatics
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. For instance, knowing where and when a gene is expressed can help us narrow down the...
13. 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...
14. 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...
15. Plant Bioinformatics Capstone
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. In Plant Bioinformatics on Coursera.org, we covered 33 plant-specific...
16. 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...
17. Foundations of Health Equity Research
Introduces students to the core principles of health equity research. Covers topics such as defining health equity, engaging community and policy stakeholders, patient-centeredness, cultural competence, and dissemination of research findings. Content will recognize different geographic, cultural, and social contexts where health inequities occur...
18. Major Depression in the Population: A Public Health Approach
Public Mental Health is the application of the principles of medicine and social science to prevent the occurrence of mental and behavioral disorders and to promote mental health of the population. This course illustrates the principles of public health applied to depressive disorder, including principles of epidemiology, transcultural psychiatry, health services research, and prevention. It is predicted that by 2020 depressive disorder will be the most important cause of disease burden in the...
19. Introduction to Molecular Spectroscopy
The course introduces the three key spectroscopic methods used by chemists and biochemists to analyse the molecular and electronic structure of atoms and molecules. These are UV/Visible , Infra-red (IR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopies. The content is presented using short focussed and interactive screencast presentations accompanied by formative quizzes to probe understanding of the key concepts presented. Numerous exercises are provided to facilitate mastery of each topic...
20. Global Disease Masterclass
The Global Disease Masterclass specialisation aims to provide students with an overview of core health challenges and lines of epidemiological research being undertaken, across a range of infectious and non-communicable diseases.\n\nThe specialisation begins by examining the global distribution of diseases and the major trends that we have seen in the last several decades. Simultaneously, we consider the data that are used to construct such estimates. We then consider the role of social...
Top 10 most affordable universities for molecular biologists
The most affordable schools for molecular biologists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for molecular 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 molecular biologists.
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. 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
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for molecular biologists
The hardest universities for molecular biologists to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for molecular 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 molecular 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for molecular biologists
The easiest schools for molecular biologists to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a molecular 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 molecular biologists.
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. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
10. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
Average molecular biologist salary by education level
| Molecular biologist education level | Molecular biologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $76,188 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $70,201 |
| Doctorate Degree | $87,434 |
Molecular biologist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025