Physiology, General Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Physiology, General maps to BLS occupations averaging about $108,812, with roughly 7,740,160 workers nationwide in those roles. About 1,829 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median in-state published tuition is about $12,186.
Key Statistics
Physiology, General: what the data shows
Common questions about physiology, general degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a physiology, general degree?
A Physiology, General program is classified under NCES CIP 26.0901 in the Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences field family (26.09).
A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the functional dynamics, morphology, and biochemical and biophysical communications within organisms and between living systems at all levels of complexity and integration. Includes instruction in reproduction, growth, hormonal action, vascular function, respiration, digestion, sensory perception and processing, sensorimotor integration, signal encoding and conveyance, homeostasis, physical function and malfunction, evolutionary physiology, and disease processes
IPEDS counted 1,829 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of physiology, general 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)
- Cell Physiology (CIP 26.0903)
- 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)
- Reproductive Biology (CIP 26.0905)
- Vision Science/Physiological Optics (CIP 26.0909)
How long does it take to get a physiology, general degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 26.0901 in our file:
- 76 Associate (3.1% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 1,829 Bachelor's (73.5% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 572 Master's (23.0% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
- 10 Doctorate (0.4% of IPEDS total)—varies by program
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Office Clerks, General (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 26.0901, but occupation data show multiple pathways.
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a physiology, general degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Physiology, General to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Office Clerks, General | 2,510,550 | $43,630 |
| Dentists, General | 113,490 | $172,790 |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,584,420 | $102,950 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,531,700 | $48,620 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a physiology, general 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 Physiology, General 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 Physiology, General majors are, on average, $12,186 for in-state public colleges, and $46,314 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Physiology, General programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Physiology, General from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Physiology, General.
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 Physiology, General 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 Physiology, General 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 Physiology, General programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Physiology, General 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 Physiology, General is in CO (378 completions). That state represents about 20.7% 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 WY (1.05% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO | 378 | 20.7% | 0.53% |
| AZ | 288 | 15.8% | 0.21% |
| CA | 237 | 13.0% | 0.05% |
| OR | 201 | 11.0% | 0.46% |
| WA | 152 | 8.3% | 0.22% |
| MA | 114 | 6.2% | 0.09% |
| MN | 99 | 5.4% | 0.12% |
| UT | 73 | 4.0% | 0.07% |
| MI | 62 | 3.4% | 0.05% |
| GA | 57 | 3.1% | 0.05% |
| WY | 46 | 2.5% | 1.05% |
| KS | 22 | 1.2% | 0.06% |
| OK | 18 | 1.0% | 0.04% |
| IL | 17 | 0.9% | 0.01% |
| DE | 13 | 0.7% | 0.09% |
| OH | 13 | 0.7% | 0.01% |
| LA | 11 | 0.6% | 0.02% |
| WI | 10 | 0.6% | 0.01% |
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
- Cell Physiology CIP 26.0903
- 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
- Reproductive Biology CIP 26.0905
- Vision Science/Physiological Optics CIP 26.0909
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 26.0901 in the survey year used in our extract (2,487 total across levels below).
- 76 Associate (3.1% of IPEDS total)
- 1,829 Bachelor's (73.5% of IPEDS total)
- 572 Master's (23.0% of IPEDS total)
- 10 Doctorate (0.4% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $108,812. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Physiology, General graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Office Clerks, General | $52,262 | 2,510,550 |
| Dentists, General | $189,360 | 113,490 |
| General and Operations Managers | $166,358 | 3,584,420 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | $60,868 | 1,531,700 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
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 Physiology, General 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
$108,812 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Physiology, General majors is $108,812.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Physiology, General majors.
Occupations by Share
7,740,160 2023 Workforce
The number of Physiology, General graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Physiology, General by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Physiology, General in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Physiology, General.
Age distribution for Physiology, General degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
1,829 Total Degrees Awarded
601 Male (32.86%)
1,228 Female (67.14%)
Gender distribution of Physiology, General degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
974 White (53.25%)
342 Asian (18.70%)
265 Hispanic or Latino (14.49%)
111 Two or More Races (6.07%)
68 Black or African American (3.72%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Physiology, General degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Physiology, General are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Physiology, General.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Physiology, General field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Physiology, General majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Physiology, General 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 Physiology, General majors.
About
A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the functional dynamics, morphology, and biochemical and biophysical communications within organisms and between living systems at all levels of complexity and integration. Includes instruction in reproduction, growth, hormonal action, vascular function, respiration, digestion, sensory perception and processing, sensorimotor integration, signal encoding and conveyance, homeostasis, physical function and malfunction, evolutionary physiology, and disease processes
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Physiology, General.
CIP Code
26.0901 - Physiology, General
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 Physiology, General graduate.
Women earned 67.8% of 2,816 Physiology, General completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $108,812. The largest mapped role by headcount is Office Clerks, General (2,510,550 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
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.