Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences maps to BLS occupations averaging about $111,866, with roughly 32,580 workers nationwide in those roles. About 11,175 degrees completed in recent IPEDS counts; median program completion runs near 58%.
Key Statistics
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences: what the data shows
Common questions about physiology, pathology and related sciences degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a physiology, pathology and related sciences degree?
A Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences program is classified under NCES CIP 00.2609 in the 00.0026 field family (00.26).
IPEDS counted 11,175 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of physiology, pathology and related sciences 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)
- Botany/Plant Biology (CIP 00.2603)
- 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)
- Zoology/Animal Biology (CIP 00.2607)
How long does it take to get a physiology, pathology and related sciences degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.2609 in our file:
- 93 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 physiology, pathology and related 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 degree do you need?
For Biological Scientists, All Other (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%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a physiology, pathology and related sciences degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Physiology, Pathology and Related 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 physiology, pathology and related sciences degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $10,942 and median net price is $19,452.
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, Pathology and Related Sciences and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$10,942 Median In-State Public
$41,681 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences majors are, on average, $10,942 for in-state public colleges, and $41,681 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
11,175 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 2 | Liberty University | VA | 50,059 |
| 3 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 44,617 |
| 4 | Brigham Young University-Idaho | ID | 42,090 |
| 5 | University of Arizona | AZ | 40,769 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Mesa College | CA | $1,150 |
| 2 | Glendale Community College | CA | $1,181 |
| 3 | Crafton Hills College | CA | $1,188 |
| 4 | Golden West College | CA | $1,196 |
| 5 | Mt San Antonio College | CA | $1,364 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas A&M University-Central Texas | TX | $1,113 |
| 2 | Golden West College | CA | $2,861 |
| 3 | Mt San Antonio College | CA | $3,107 |
| 4 | Ohio University-Eastern Campus | OH | $4,503 |
| 5 | Mission College | CA | $5,198 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences 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 Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences 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
- Botany/Plant Biology CIP 00.2603
- 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
- Zoology/Animal Biology CIP 00.2607
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.2609 in the survey year used in our extract (93 total across levels below).
- 93 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 $111,866. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Physiology, Pathology and Related 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.
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 in Workforce
The average salary for Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences majors is $114,838.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences majors.
Occupations by Share
32,580 2023 Workforce
The number of Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Physiology, Pathology and Related 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 Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences.
Age distribution for Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Physiology, Pathology and Related 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 Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences majors.
About
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences
In 2023, 11,175 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences.
CIP Code
00.2609 - Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences
What the data shows
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 $10,942 in-state at public colleges and $41,681 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.