Botany/Plant Biology Degrees (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Botany/Plant Biology maps to BLS occupations averaging about $126,706, with roughly 42,120 workers nationwide in those roles. Median program completion runs near 58%; median in-state published tuition is about $10,942.
Botany/Plant Biology: what the data shows
Common questions about botany/plant biology degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a botany/plant biology degree?
A Botany/Plant Biology program is classified under NCES CIP 26.0300 in the Botany/Plant Biology field family (00.26).
IPEDS counted 333 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of botany/plant biology degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 00.26 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (CIP 00.2602)
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology (CIP 00.2611)
- Biotechnology (CIP 00.2612)
- Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences (CIP 00.2604)
- Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (CIP 00.2613)
- Genetics (CIP 00.2608)
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology (CIP 00.2605)
- Molecular Medicine (CIP 00.2614)
- Neurobiology and Neurosciences (CIP 00.2615)
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (CIP 00.2610)
- Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences (CIP 00.2609)
- Zoology/Animal Biology (CIP 00.2607)
How long does it take to get a botany/plant biology degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 26.0300 in our file:
- 3 Master's (100.0% 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.
What do you learn in botany/plant biology?
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 botany/plant biology degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Botany/Plant Biology 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 |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | — | — |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | 74,250 | $79,940 |
| Veterinarians | 80,630 | $125,510 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 84,930 | $80,060 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a botany/plant biology degree worth it?
About 5.9% 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 $10,942 and median net price is $16,378.
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 Botany/Plant Biology and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$10,942 Median In-State Public
$63,813 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Botany/Plant Biology majors are, on average, $10,942 for in-state public colleges, and $63,813 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Botany/Plant Biology programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
333 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Botany/Plant Biology from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Botany/Plant Biology.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 3 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 44,617 |
| 4 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | 42,100 |
| 5 | University of Arizona | AZ | 40,769 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Botany/Plant Biology programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cerritos College | CA | $1,364 |
| 2 | Alamance Community College | NC | $2,528 |
| 3 | North Idaho College | ID | $3,396 |
| 4 | Snow College | UT | $4,564 |
| 5 | Ohio University-Eastern Campus | OH | $6,178 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Botany/Plant Biology programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cerritos College | CA | $693 |
| 2 | Ohio University-Eastern Campus | OH | $4,503 |
| 3 | Ohio University-Southern Campus | OH | $5,328 |
| 4 | California State University-Fullerton | CA | $5,646 |
| 5 | Ohio University-Zanesville Campus | OH | $5,971 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Botany/Plant Biology programs.
Graduation Rates
58.32% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
58.65% Average Graduation Rate
133 Institutions Reporting
48.25% - 69.94% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Botany/Plant Biology programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 00.26 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology CIP 00.2602
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology CIP 00.2611
- Biotechnology CIP 00.2612
- Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences CIP 00.2604
- Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology CIP 00.2613
- Genetics CIP 00.2608
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology CIP 00.2605
- Molecular Medicine CIP 00.2614
- Neurobiology and Neurosciences CIP 00.2615
- Pharmacology and Toxicology CIP 00.2610
- Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences CIP 00.2609
- Zoology/Animal Biology CIP 00.2607
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 26.0300 in the survey year used in our extract (3 total across levels below).
- 3 Master's (100.0% 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 $126,706. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Botany/Plant Biology 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 |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | — | — |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | $104,536 | 74,250 |
| Veterinarians | $172,853 | 80,630 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $110,339 | 84,930 |
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 Botany/Plant Biology CIP family (n/a programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Botany/Plant Biology graduate.
- $49,245 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 5.9% 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
$125,635 Average wage, mapped occupations (OEWS)
Occupations mapped to Botany/Plant Biology average $125,635 a year in the BLS OEWS extract.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Botany/Plant Biology majors.
Occupations by Share
42,120 2023 Workforce
The number of Botany/Plant Biology graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Botany/Plant Biology by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Botany/Plant Biology in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Botany/Plant Biology.
Age distribution for Botany/Plant Biology degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Botany/Plant Biology degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Botany/Plant Biology degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Botany/Plant Biology are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Botany/Plant Biology.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Botany/Plant Biology field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Botany/Plant Biology majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Botany/Plant Biology 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 Botany/Plant Biology majors.
About
Botany/Plant Biology
In 2023, 333 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Botany/Plant Biology.
CIP Code
26.0300 - Botany/Plant Biology
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $126,706. 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 $10,942 in-state at public colleges and $63,813 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.