Biological and Physical Sciences Degrees (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Biological and Physical Sciences maps to BLS occupations averaging about $111,866, with roughly 32,580 workers nationwide in those roles. About 1,953 degrees completed in recent IPEDS counts; median program completion runs near 59%.
Biological and Physical Sciences: what the data shows
Common questions about biological and physical sciences degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a biological and physical sciences degree?
A Biological and Physical Sciences program is classified under NCES CIP 30.0100 in the Biological and Physical Sciences field family (00.30).
IPEDS counted 1,953 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of biological and physical sciences degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 00.30 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Accounting and Computer Science (CIP 00.3016)
- Anthrozoology (CIP 00.3034)
- Behavioral Sciences (CIP 00.3017)
- Biopsychology (CIP 00.3010)
- Classical and Ancient Studies (CIP 00.3022)
- Climate Science (CIP 00.3035)
- Cognitive Science (CIP 00.3025)
- Computational Science (CIP 00.3030)
- Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature (CIP 00.3036)
- Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis (CIP 00.3026)
- Digital Humanities and Textual Studies (CIP 00.3052)
- Dispute Resolution (CIP 00.3028)
- Earth Systems Science (CIP 00.3038)
- Economics and Computer Science (CIP 00.3039)
- Environmental Geosciences (CIP 00.3041)
- Geobiology (CIP 00.3043)
- Geography and Environmental Studies (CIP 00.3044)
- Gerontology (CIP 00.3011)
- Historic Preservation and Conservation (CIP 00.3012)
- History and Language/Literature (CIP 00.3045)
- History and Political Science (CIP 00.3046)
- Holocaust and Related Studies (CIP 00.3021)
- Human Biology (CIP 00.3027)
- Human Computer Interaction (CIP 00.3031)
- Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies (CIP 00.3023)
- International/Global Studies (CIP 00.3020)
- Linguistics and Anthropology (CIP 00.3047)
- Linguistics and Computer Science (CIP 00.3048)
- Marine Sciences (CIP 00.3032)
- Maritime Studies (CIP 00.3029)
- Mathematical Economics (CIP 00.3049)
- Mathematics and Computer Science (CIP 00.3008)
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies (CIP 00.3013)
- Museology/Museum Studies (CIP 00.3014)
- Natural Sciences (CIP 00.3018)
- Nutrition Sciences (CIP 00.3019)
- Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution (CIP 00.3005)
- Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (CIP 00.3051)
- Science, Technology and Society (CIP 00.3015)
- Sustainability Studies (CIP 00.3033)
- Systems Science and Theory (CIP 00.3006)
How long does it take to get a biological and physical sciences degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 30.0100 in our file:
- 40 Bachelor's (0.2% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 23,421 Master's (99.8% 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.
What do you learn in biological and physical sciences?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Active Learning, Speaking, Science, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What jobs can you get with a biological and physical sciences degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Biological and Physical Sciences 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Scientists, All Other | 59,710 | $93,330 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | 16,600 | $71,410 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 84,930 | $80,060 |
| Conservation Scientists | 25,590 | $67,950 |
| Animal Scientists | 2,470 | $79,120 |
| Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | 22,510 | $99,240 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a biological and physical sciences degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Biological and Physical Sciences bachelor's program family: median debt $47,282, median earnings $58,891 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 1.33.
About 4.6% 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 $4,515 and median net price is $11,691.
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 Biological and Physical Sciences and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$4,515 Median In-State Public
$39,118 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Biological and Physical Sciences majors are, on average, $4,515 for in-state public colleges, and $39,118 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Biological and Physical Sciences programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
1,953 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Biological and Physical Sciences from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Biological and Physical Sciences.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | 42,100 |
| 2 | Michigan State University | MI | 40,243 |
| 3 | Purdue University-Main Campus | IN | 39,637 |
| 4 | Florida International University | FL | 38,761 |
| 5 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | 36,357 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Biological and Physical Sciences programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barstow Community College | CA | $1,104 |
| 2 | Taft College | CA | $1,108 |
| 3 | Copper Mountain Community College | CA | $1,114 |
| 4 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 5 | Woodland Community College | CA | $1,124 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Biological and Physical Sciences programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $10 |
| 2 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $29 |
| 3 | Oxnard College | CA | $659 |
| 4 | Cerritos College | CA | $693 |
| 5 | Moorpark College | CA | $742 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Biological and Physical Sciences programs.
Graduation Rates
59.36% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
57.43% Average Graduation Rate
144 Institutions Reporting
43.88% - 71.16% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Biological and Physical Sciences programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 00.30 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Accounting and Computer Science CIP 00.3016
- Anthrozoology CIP 00.3034
- Behavioral Sciences CIP 00.3017
- Biopsychology CIP 00.3010
- Classical and Ancient Studies CIP 00.3022
- Climate Science CIP 00.3035
- Cognitive Science CIP 00.3025
- Computational Science CIP 00.3030
- Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature CIP 00.3036
- Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis CIP 00.3026
- Digital Humanities and Textual Studies CIP 00.3052
- Dispute Resolution CIP 00.3028
- Earth Systems Science CIP 00.3038
- Economics and Computer Science CIP 00.3039
- Environmental Geosciences CIP 00.3041
- Geobiology CIP 00.3043
- Geography and Environmental Studies CIP 00.3044
- Gerontology CIP 00.3011
- Historic Preservation and Conservation CIP 00.3012
- History and Language/Literature CIP 00.3045
- History and Political Science CIP 00.3046
- Holocaust and Related Studies CIP 00.3021
- Human Biology CIP 00.3027
- Human Computer Interaction CIP 00.3031
- Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies CIP 00.3023
- International/Global Studies CIP 00.3020
- Linguistics and Anthropology CIP 00.3047
- Linguistics and Computer Science CIP 00.3048
- Marine Sciences CIP 00.3032
- Maritime Studies CIP 00.3029
- Mathematical Economics CIP 00.3049
- Mathematics and Computer Science CIP 00.3008
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies CIP 00.3013
- Museology/Museum Studies CIP 00.3014
- Natural Sciences CIP 00.3018
- Nutrition Sciences CIP 00.3019
- Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution CIP 00.3005
- Philosophy, Politics, and Economics CIP 00.3051
- Science, Technology and Society CIP 00.3015
- Sustainability Studies CIP 00.3033
- Systems Science and Theory CIP 00.3006
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 30.0100 in the survey year used in our extract (23,461 total across levels below).
- 40 Bachelor's (0.2% of IPEDS total)
- 23,421 Master's (99.8% 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 $111,866. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Biological and Physical Sciences graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Scientists, All Other | $124,288 | 59,710 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | $94,151 | 16,600 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $110,339 | 84,930 |
| Conservation Scientists | $90,227 | 25,590 |
| Animal Scientists | — | 2,470 |
| Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | $122,337 | 22,510 |
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 Biological and Physical Sciences CIP family (17 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Biological and Physical Sciences graduate.
- $47,282 median federal loan debt among completers
- $58,891 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 1.33 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 4.6% 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
$114,838 Average wage, mapped occupations (OEWS)
Occupations mapped to Biological and Physical Sciences average $114,838 a year in the BLS OEWS extract.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Biological and Physical Sciences majors.
Occupations by Share
32,580 2023 Workforce
The number of Biological and Physical Sciences graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Biological and Physical Sciences by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Biological and Physical Sciences in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Biological and Physical Sciences.
Age distribution for Biological and Physical Sciences degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Biological and Physical Sciences degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Biological and Physical Sciences degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Biological and Physical Sciences are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Biological and Physical Sciences.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Biological and Physical Sciences field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Biological and Physical Sciences majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Biological and Physical Sciences 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 Biological and Physical Sciences majors.
About
Biological and Physical Sciences
In 2023, 1,953 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Biological and Physical Sciences.
CIP Code
30.0100 - Biological and Physical Sciences
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $47,282 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $58,891, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.33. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Biological and Physical Sciences graduate.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $111,866. The largest mapped role by headcount is Biological Scientists, All Other (59,710 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $4,515 in-state at public colleges and $39,118 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.