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Senior biologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior biologist. Senior biologists usually study biology, ecology, population biology, and epidemiology, or zoology. 73% of senior biologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 234 real senior biologist resumes to see exactly what senior biologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior biologists are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online senior biologist courses to help get the education required to be a senior biologist.
What education do you need to become a senior biologist?
What degree do you need to be a senior biologist?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 16%
- Doctorate, 6%
- Associate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 0%
What should I major in to become a senior biologist?
- Biology, 46%
- Zoology, 6%
- Microbiology, 5%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for senior biologists
| Senior biologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.55% |
| Purdue University | 7.55% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 7.55% |
| Illinois State University | 5.66% |
| Northern Arizona University | 5.66% |
Best majors for senior biologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 45.6% |
| 2 | Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology | 5.8% |
| 3 | Zoology | 5.8% |
| 4 | Microbiology | 5.3% |
| 5 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 5.3% |
Best colleges for senior biologists
The best colleges for senior biologists are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.
A senior 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 senior 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 senior biologists.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for senior biologists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior biologists
The most affordable schools for senior biologists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for senior 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 senior 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 - 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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
10. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior biologists
The hardest universities for senior biologists to get into are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for senior 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 senior 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
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior biologists
The easiest schools for senior biologists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and adventhealth university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior 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 senior biologists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
Average senior biologist salary by education level
| Senior biologist education level | Senior biologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $68,503 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $62,689 |
| Doctorate Degree | $79,527 |
Senior biologist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025