Cell Physiology Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Cell Physiology — headline outcomes are in the stats below. Median in-state published tuition is about $12,186.
Key Statistics
Cell Physiology: what the data shows
Common questions about cell physiology degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a cell physiology degree?
A Cell Physiology program is classified under NCES CIP 26.0903 in the Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences field family (26.09).
A program that focuses on the scientific study of physiological processes operating within and among cells, and intracellular communication and behavior, in the context of larger systems and whole organisms. Includes instruction in cell and molecular biology, molecular physiology, cell cycle control, signal transduction, protein structure, membrane biochemistry and structure, ion channel physics, cell respiration and digestion, secretory functions, cell adhesion and communication, information encoding and decoding, and the relation of cell physiology to tissue, organ, and organismic functioning
IPEDS counted 2 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of cell physiology degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 26.09 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Aerospace Physiology and Medicine (CIP 26.0912)
- Biomechanics (CIP 26.0913)
- Cardiovascular Science (CIP 26.0907)
- Endocrinology (CIP 26.0904)
- Kinesiology (CIP 26.0908)
- Molecular Physiology (CIP 26.0902)
- Oncology and Cancer Biology (CIP 26.0911)
- Pathology/Experimental Pathology (CIP 26.0910)
- Physiology, General (CIP 26.0901)
- Reproductive Biology (CIP 26.0905)
- Vision Science/Physiological Optics (CIP 26.0909)
How long does it take to get a cell physiology degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 26.0903 in our file:
- 2 Bachelor's (10.0% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 18 Master's (90.0% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
Is a cell physiology degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences bachelor's program family: median debt $32,582, median earnings $62,172 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 1.05.
About 5.3% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $12,186 and median net price is $18,749.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Cell Physiology and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$12,186 Median In-State Public
$46,314 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Cell Physiology majors are, on average, $12,186 for in-state public colleges, and $46,314 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Cell Physiology programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Cell Physiology from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Cell Physiology.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,615 |
| 3 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,615 |
| 4 | Liberty University | VA | 50,012 |
| 5 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 45,638 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Cell Physiology programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego City College | CA | $1,146 |
| 2 | Crafton Hills College | CA | $1,188 |
| 3 | Glendale Community College | CA | $1,191 |
| 4 | Mt San Antonio College | CA | $1,364 |
| 5 | Golden West College | CA | $1,380 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Cell Physiology programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas A&M University-Central Texas | TX | $1,300 |
| 2 | CUNY Lehman College | NY | $3,148 |
| 3 | Ohio University-Eastern Campus | OH | $3,925 |
| 4 | Golden West College | CA | $4,824 |
| 5 | Ohio University-Lancaster Campus | OH | $5,650 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Cell Physiology programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Cell Physiology programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Cell Physiology is in NY (2 completions). That state represents about 100.0% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is NY (0.00% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| NY | 2 | 100.0% | 0.00% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 26.09 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Aerospace Physiology and Medicine CIP 26.0912
- Biomechanics CIP 26.0913
- Cardiovascular Science CIP 26.0907
- Endocrinology CIP 26.0904
- Kinesiology CIP 26.0908
- Molecular Physiology CIP 26.0902
- Oncology and Cancer Biology CIP 26.0911
- Pathology/Experimental Pathology CIP 26.0910
- Physiology, General CIP 26.0901
- Reproductive Biology CIP 26.0905
- Vision Science/Physiological Optics CIP 26.0909
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 26.0903 in the survey year used in our extract (20 total across levels below).
- 2 Bachelor's (10.0% of IPEDS total)
- 18 Master's (90.0% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences CIP family (34 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Cell Physiology graduate.
- $32,582 median federal loan debt among completers
- $62,172 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 1.05 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 5.3% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$N/A Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Cell Physiology majors is $N/A.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Cell Physiology majors.
Occupations by Share
N/A 2023 Workforce
The number of Cell Physiology graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Cell Physiology by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Cell Physiology in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Cell Physiology.
Age distribution for Cell Physiology degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
2 Total Degrees Awarded
2 Female (100.00%)
Gender distribution of Cell Physiology degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
1 Asian (50.00%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Cell Physiology degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Cell Physiology are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Cell Physiology.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Cell Physiology field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Cell Physiology majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Cell Physiology majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Cell Physiology majors.
About
A program that focuses on the scientific study of physiological processes operating within and among cells, and intracellular communication and behavior, in the context of larger systems and whole organisms. Includes instruction in cell and molecular biology, molecular physiology, cell cycle control, signal transduction, protein structure, membrane biochemistry and structure, ion channel physics, cell respiration and digestion, secretory functions, cell adhesion and communication, information encoding and decoding, and the relation of cell physiology to tissue, organ, and organismic functioning
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Cell Physiology.
CIP Code
26.0903 - Cell Physiology
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $32,582 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $62,172, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.05. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Cell Physiology graduate.
Women earned 68.6% of 51 Cell Physiology completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $12,186 in-state at public colleges and $46,314 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.