Cell Biologyat Northeastern University
Graduates earn $65,551/yr in their first year — about 75.0% above the national Cell Biology average. Base-case 10-year earnings $611K; scenarios range from $548K to $619K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Northeastern University
Northeastern's signature co-op program is a significant driver of your early career success in this field. You'll gain invaluable practical experience directly within Boston's thriving biotech and pharmaceutical ecosystem, home to global leaders and innovative startups. This hands-on exposure, often leading to full-time offers, equips you with a competitive edge from day one, explaining the strong initial career outcomes. You'll find yourself contributing to cutting-edge research at institutions like Mass General Brigham or major pharma companies, often progressing into project management or specialized R&D roles.
However, the "high AI risk" indicates that many routine lab tasks and data analysis functions within these roles are increasingly susceptible to automation. To future-proof your career, actively seek co-op placements and coursework that emphasize interdisciplinary skills, especially computational biology, bioinformatics, or data science applications within cell and anatomical sciences. Develop expertise in interpreting complex biological data and designing experiments, rather than just executing them, to ensure long-term adaptability.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Northeastern University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Cell Biology
How Northeastern University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Northeastern University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Northeastern University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Cell Biology at Northeastern University
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Cell Biology at Northeastern University?
A score of 42/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Cell Biology. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Will AI replace Cell Biology careers?
With 46% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $548,186 in decade earnings vs $618,671 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.