Best Biological Technician programs in Colorado, ranked by enrollment
Assist biological and medical scientists. Set up, operate, and maintain laboratory instruments and equipment, monitor experiments, collect data and samples, make observations, and calculate and record results.
28 schools in Colorado run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,597 people a year. The job pays a median of $59,400 in Colorado across about 1,990 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Colorado that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
12 programs in Colorado that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Colorado (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Colorado page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology/Biological Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 26.0101In Colorado → | 1,119 | 43.1% | 24 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 2 | Biomedical Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 26.0102In Colorado → | 377 | 14.5% | 5 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 3 | CIP 26.0202In Colorado → | 243 | 9.4% | 9 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 4 | Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biologymain feeder CIP 26.0406In Colorado → | 200 | 7.7% | 4 | $35,393 | $19,961 |
| 5 | Neurosciencemain feeder CIP 26.1501In Colorado → | 196 | 7.5% | 5 | $31,687 | $22,936 |
| 6 | CIP 26.0709In Colorado → | 177 | 6.8% | 1 | $28,266 | $24,393 |
| 7 | CIP 26.0701In Colorado → | 162 | 6.2% | 2 | $28,266 | $24,393 |
| 8 | CIP 26.0502In Colorado → | 61 | 2.3% | 2 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 9 | CIP 26.0204In Colorado → | 30 | 1.2% | 2 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 10 | Biostatisticsmain feeder CIP 26.1102In Colorado → | 23 | 0.9% | 1 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 11 | CIP 26.0503In Colorado → | 6 | 0.2% | 1 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 12 | Computational Biologymain feeder CIP 26.1104In Colorado → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
Top 25 schools in Colorado
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 11 of the 28 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO Public · 8 feeder programs | 918 | Biomedical Sciences, General | $32,958 | 67% | — | 89% |
| 2 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO Public · 8 feeder programs | 324 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $34,562 | 46% | — | 75% |
| 3 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO Public · 3 feeder programs | 320 | Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology | $43,192 | 74% | — | 78% |
| 4 | Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 137 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $41,018 | 32% | — | 99% |
| 5 | University of Denver Denver, CO Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 124 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $36,393 | 76% | $29,726 | 78% |
| 6 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 102 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $32,374 | 47% | — | 97% |
| 7 | University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 95 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $34,647 | 51% | — | 86% |
| 8 | Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 79 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $32,565 | 41% | — | 82% |
| 9 | United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 75 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 88% | — | 14% |
| 10 | Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 72 | Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology | — | 88% | $23,510 | 18% |
| 11 | Rocky Vista University Parker, CO Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 72 | Biomedical Sciences, General | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | Regis University Denver, CO Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 50 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 61% | $22,407 | 86% |
| 13 | Western Colorado University Gunnison, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 35 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $29,881 | 50% | — | 100% |
| 14 | Colorado State University Pueblo Pueblo, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 33 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $38,933 | 40% | — | 95% |
| 15 | Pikes Peak State College Colorado Springs, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 32 | Zoology/Animal Biology | — | 21% | — | — |
| 16 | Fort Lewis College Durango, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 25 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $26,350 | 36% | — | 77% |
| 17 | Community College of Aurora Aurora, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 33% | — | — |
| 18 | Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Biochemistry | — | 82% | — | 61% |
| 19 | Adams State University Alamosa, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 39% | — | — |
| 20 | Community College of Denver Denver, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 20% | — | — |
| 21 | Red Rocks Community College Lakewood, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 32% | — | — |
| 22 | Front Range Community College Westminster, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 35% | — | — |
| 23 | Colorado Christian University Lakewood, CO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 64% | $23,447 | — |
| 24 | Arapahoe Community College Littleton, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 29% | — | — |
| 25 | Morgan Community College Fort Morgan, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 45% | — | — |
All 28 schools in Colorado
Every school in Colorado with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado State University - Fort Collins | Fort Collins | Public | 918 | 8 |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | Denver | Public | 324 | 8 |
| University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder | Public | 320 | 3 |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver | Denver | Public | 137 | 2 |
| University of Denver | Denver | Private not-for-profit | 124 | 4 |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs | Public | 102 | 2 |
| University of Northern Colorado | Greeley | Public | 95 | 2 |
| Colorado Mesa University | Grand Junction | Public | 79 | 1 |
| United States Air Force Academy | USAF Academy | Public | 75 | 1 |
| Colorado College | Colorado Springs | Private not-for-profit | 72 | 3 |
| Rocky Vista University | Parker | Private for-profit | 72 | 1 |
| Regis University | Denver | Private not-for-profit | 50 | 4 |
| Western Colorado University | Gunnison | Public | 35 | 1 |
| Colorado State University Pueblo | Pueblo | Public | 33 | 1 |
| Pikes Peak State College | Colorado Springs | Public | 32 | 2 |
What biological technicians earn in Colorado
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $57,510. Colorado pays above the national figure.
Concentrated here: Colorado employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Colorado
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Biological Technicians page.
How to become a Biological Technician
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Colorado
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 19 majors mapped to Biological Technicians19 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 26.0101Biology/Biological Sciences, General
- 26.0102Biomedical Sciences, General
- 26.0202Biochemistry
- 26.0204Molecular Biology
- 26.0406Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
- 26.0502Microbiology, General
- 26.0503Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
- 26.0508Microbiology and Immunology
- 26.0701Zoology/Animal Biology
- 26.0708Animal Behavior and Ethology
- 26.0709Wildlife Biology
- 26.0801Genetics, General
- 26.1102Biostatistics
- 26.1103Bioinformatics
- 26.1104Computational Biology
- 26.1302Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography
- 26.1304Aquatic Biology/Limnology
- 26.1501Neuroscience
- 41.0101Biology/Biotechnology Technology/Technician
Common questions
Answers for people weighing biological technicians programs in Colorado.
What degree do you need to become a Biological Technician?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Biology/Biological Sciences, General, which awarded 1,119 degrees in Colorado in 2024-25, 43.1% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Biological Technician?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 12 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biology, Zoology/Animal Biology, Biochemistry, Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, plus 3 more. Together they graduate about 2,597 people a year in Colorado.
How much do biological technicians earn in Colorado?+
The median is $59,400 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 3.3% above the U.S. median of $57,510. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for biological technicians growing?+
BLS projects a +3.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 9,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Colorado?+
28 institutions in Colorado reported graduates from at least one of the 12 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do biological technicians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Research Associate, Research Technician, Biological Technician, Laboratory Technician among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-4021.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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