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Cell Biology Degree

39 schools compared · Average earnings $37,398/yr

Students study the structure and function of cells, including cell division, organelle biology, tissue architecture, and the molecular mechanisms of disease. Graduates typically pursue careers in biomedical research, pharmaceutical development, clinical laboratory science, and as strong candidates for medical school and graduate programs. This major provides the deep biological knowledge essential for careers in healthcare and life sciences research.

What Cell Biology Graduates Do

Your degree prepares you for a future at the microscopic frontier of medicine and research. Many graduates begin their careers as biological technicians, performing the essential hands-on work in a lab: preparing samples, running complex equipment, and meticulously documenting results for senior scientists. With an advanced degree, you could become a medical scientist, designing experiments to unlock the secrets of diseases like cancer, analyzing data, and pursuing breakthroughs in academic or private labs. Another major pathway involves teaching, where you might train the next generation of doctors and nurses as a postsecondary health specialties teacher, a field with exceptionally strong demand.

Career progression often involves moving from a technician role to a lead scientist and eventually to a natural sciences manager, overseeing entire research departments. Artificial intelligence is becoming a key collaborator in these fields. Expect AI to automate significant parts of your work, like analyzing thousands of cell images or sifting through genomic data, freeing you up for higher-level experimental design and interpretation. The jobs aren't disappearing, but your day-to-day tasks will evolve, placing a premium on adaptability. While some pure research roles face slow growth, the need for skilled educators in health sciences is expanding rapidly.

Schools Offering

Avg Grad Earnings

$37,398/yr

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

43/100

AI Automation Risk

High

52% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Cell Biology graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 70,200 combined openings per year.

Career Path	Salary Range	Openings/yr	Growth	AI Risk
Natural sciences managers	$161,180 $114K$215K	8,500	+3.7%	50%
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	$105,620 $74K$176K	27,400	+17.3%	48%
Biochemists and biophysicists	$103,650 $79K$134K	2,900	+5.8%	45%
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists	$100,590 $77K$134K	9,600	+8.7%	52%
Biological scientists, all other	$93,330 $68K$121K	4,800	+1.2%	49%
Microbiologists	$87,330 $64K$121K	1,700	+4.1%	40%
Epidemiologists	$83,980 $68K$106K	800	+16.2%	44%
Biological science teachers, postsecondary	$83,460 $64K$125K	5,400	+7.3%	47%
Biological technicians	$52,000 $45K–$66K	9,100	+3.5%	42%

Natural sciences managers

$161,180

$114K $215K

8,500 openings/yr +3.7% growth 50% AI risk

Health specialties teachers, postsecondary

$105,620

$74K $176K

27,400 openings/yr +17.3% growth 48% AI risk

Biochemists and biophysicists

$103,650

$79K $134K

2,900 openings/yr +5.8% growth 45% AI risk

Medical scientists, except epidemiologists

$100,590

$77K $134K

9,600 openings/yr +8.7% growth 52% AI risk

Biological scientists, all other

$93,330

$68K $121K

4,800 openings/yr +1.2% growth 49% AI risk

Microbiologists

$87,330

$64K $121K

1,700 openings/yr +4.1% growth 40% AI risk

Epidemiologists

$83,980

$68K $106K

800 openings/yr +16.2% growth 44% AI risk

Biological science teachers, postsecondary

$83,460

$64K $125K

5,400 openings/yr +7.3% growth 47% AI risk

Biological technicians

$52,000

$45K–$66K

9,100 openings/yr +3.5% growth 42% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Which school is best for Cell Biology? See our complete ranking of 39 programs →

Best Schools for Cell Biology

Top 20 of 39 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

#	School	DW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA	63 57–63	$47,315/yr	26.6x
2	California State University-San Marcos San Marcos, CA	62 56–62	$49,734/yr	22.4x
3	San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA	58 54–59	$40,794/yr	25.5x
4	University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI	56 51–56	$46,814/yr	11.3x
5	University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA	56 51–57	$45,088/yr	12.6x
6	University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA	52 47–52	$43,270/yr	10.8x
7	University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN	50 45–51	$44,501/yr	10.2x
8	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA	49 45–50	$42,075/yr	11.3x
9	Western Washington University Bellingham, WA	49 45–50	$39,225/yr	14.8x
10	Harvard University Cambridge, MA	48 43–49	$51,569/yr	2.7x
11	University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO	48 43–48	$43,192/yr	8.7x
12	University of California-Davis Davis, CA	48 45–49	$37,952/yr	10.9x
13	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT	48 45–48	$35,393/yr	11.2x
14	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT	48 45–48	$35,393/yr	11.2x
15	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT	48 45–48	$35,393/yr	11.2x
16	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT	48 45–48	$35,393/yr	11.2x
17	Montana State University Bozeman, MT	48 46–49	$32,538/yr	20.5x
18	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT	46 43–47	$35,393/yr	9.5x
19	Parker University Dallas, TX	45 40–46	$53,632/yr	6.7x
20	University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	45 42–46	$36,945/yr	10.8x
21	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	45 42–46	$36,532/yr	9.7x
22	California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA	45 44–46	$27,887/yr	23.7x
23	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ	43 41–44	$33,741/yr	11.1x
24	University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA	43 41–43	$31,148/yr	11.9x
25	Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO	43 41–44	$30,643/yr	16.2x
26	Northeastern University Boston, MA	42 37–43	$65,551/yr	1.6x
27	University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA	42 38–42	$38,333/yr	8.5x
28	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL	39 37–39	$29,777/yr	10.0x
29	CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY	37 34–37	$34,619/yr	10.6x
30	Northeastern State University Tahlequah, OK	36 34–37	$34,174/yr	10.4x
31	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	35 34–36	$28,062/yr	8.8x
32	Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ	34 33–35	$20,721/yr	9.5x
33	Yale University New Haven, CT	32 28–33	$40,299/yr	0.6x
34	Illinois State University Normal, IL	31 29–32	$34,154/yr	4.3x
35	Duke University Durham, NC	31 30–32	$30,154/yr	2.3x
36	University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Belton, TX	31 30–32	$29,023/yr	4.1x
37	University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA	28 25–29	$35,822/yr	0.5x
38	Augusta University Augusta, GA	24 22–24	$21,905/yr	5.7x
39	Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD	19 18–19	$24,352/yr	1.6x

Highest Earning Cell Biology Programs

Schools where Cell Biology graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	DW Score
Northeastern University	$65,551/yr	42
Parker University	$53,632/yr	45
Harvard University	$51,569/yr	48
California State University-San Marcos	$49,734/yr	62
California State University-Northridge	$47,315/yr	63
University of Rhode Island	$46,814/yr	56
University of California-Santa Cruz	$45,088/yr	56
University of Minnesota-Duluth	$44,501/yr	50
University of California-Berkeley	$43,270/yr	52
University of Colorado Boulder	$43,192/yr	48

Best ROI for Cell Biology

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Cell Biology.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	DW Score
California State University-Northridge	26.6x	$47,315/yr	63
San Francisco State University	25.5x	$40,794/yr	58
California State University-Fullerton	23.7x	$27,887/yr	45
California State University-San Marcos	22.4x	$49,734/yr	62
Montana State University	20.5x	$32,538/yr	48
Missouri State University-Springfield	16.2x	$30,643/yr	43
Western Washington University	14.8x	$39,225/yr	49
University of California-Santa Cruz	12.6x	$45,088/yr	56
University of California-Riverside	11.9x	$31,148/yr	43
University of Rhode Island	11.3x	$46,814/yr	56

Want to compare two Cell Biology programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Cell Biology graduates earn?

First-year earnings for Cell Biology graduates average $37,398 annually, based on data from 39 programs. The range spans $20,721 at the low end to $65,551 at the top.

Will AI affect Cell Biology careers?

AI exposure for Cell Biology is rated "High." With 52% of tasks potentially affected by large language models, most career functions face meaningful automation pressure in the coming decade.

Where should I study Cell Biology?

California State University-Northridge leads all 39 programs with a DegreeOutlook Score of 63/100. Graduates earn $47,315/yr — the ranking weighs earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size equally.

What's the ROI on a Cell Biology degree?

The average 10-year earnings multiple is 10.6x tuition. This is a strong return on investment. The spread between the best and worst programs is wide, so individual school selection has a major impact.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →