Best Natural Sciences Manager programs in Colorado, ranked by enrollment
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and research and development in these.
28 schools in Colorado run programs that feed this job, graduating 5,009 people a year. The job pays a median of $152,730 in Colorado across about 1,640 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.
57 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 | CIP 26.0101In Colorado → | 1,119 | 22.3% | 24 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 30.3001In Colorado → | 392 | 7.8% | 1 | $50,745 | $27,000 |
| 3 | CIP 27.0101In Colorado → | 302 | 6.0% | 21 | $48,772 | $21,544 |
| 4 | CIP 40.0501In Colorado → | 277 | 5.5% | 20 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 5 | CIP 40.0801In Colorado → | 272 | 5.4% | 16 | $47,156 | $23,490 |
| 6 | CIP 26.0202In Colorado → | 243 | 4.9% | 9 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 7 | CIP 26.1310In Colorado → | 222 | 4.4% | 2 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 8 | CIP 26.0406In Colorado → | 200 | 4.0% | 4 | $35,393 | $19,961 |
| 9 | CIP 26.1501In Colorado → | 196 | 3.9% | 5 | $31,687 | $22,936 |
| 10 | CIP 30.1901In Colorado → | 176 | 3.5% | 3 | $30,508 | $24,586 |
| 11 | CIP 26.0701In Colorado → | 162 | 3.2% | 2 | $28,266 | $24,393 |
| 12 | CIP 40.0601In Colorado → | 147 | 2.9% | 13 | $39,678 | $24,864 |
| 13 | CIP 30.3301In Colorado → | 120 | 2.4% | 8 | $37,223 | $20,968 |
| 14 | CIP 30.7001In Colorado → | 113 | 2.3% | 6 | — | — |
| 15 | CIP 27.0301In Colorado → | 93 | 1.9% | 3 | $60,930 | $21,143 |
| 16 | CIP 14.1201In Colorado → | 85 | 1.7% | 2 | $57,457 | $24,706 |
| 17 | CIP 40.0401In Colorado → | 73 | 1.5% | 4 | $41,430 | $25,500 |
| 18 | CIP 27.0501In Colorado → | 68 | 1.4% | 4 | $59,718 | $20,150 |
| 19 | CIP 27.0304In Colorado → | 67 | 1.3% | 1 | $60,930 | $21,143 |
| 20 | CIP 26.0502In Colorado → | 61 | 1.2% | 2 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 21 | CIP 30.4401In Colorado → | 60 | 1.2% | 1 | — | — |
| 22 | CIP 40.0201In Colorado → | 58 | 1.2% | 1 | $39,728 | $24,678 |
| 23 | CIP 26.1301In Colorado → | 55 | 1.1% | 4 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 24 | Biological and Physical Sciencesmain feeder CIP 30.0101In Colorado → | 46 | 0.9% | 5 | $28,446 | $11,000 |
| 25 | CIP 27.0601In Colorado → | 31 | 0.6% | 2 | — | — |
| 26 | Natural Sciencesmain feeder CIP 30.1801In Colorado → | 30 | 0.6% | 4 | $29,587 | $21,610 |
| 27 | CIP 26.0204In Colorado → | 30 | 0.6% | 2 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 28 | CIP 26.1004In Colorado → | 27 | 0.5% | 2 | $39,202 | $18,000 |
| 29 | CIP 40.0605In Colorado → | 25 | 0.5% | 2 | $39,678 | $24,864 |
| 30 | CIP 40.0202In Colorado → | 24 | 0.5% | 1 | $39,728 | $24,678 |
| 31 | CIP 26.1102In Colorado → | 23 | 0.5% | 1 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 32 | CIP 30.4901In Colorado → | 21 | 0.4% | 1 | — | — |
| 33 | CIP 51.1401In Colorado → | 21 | 0.4% | 1 | $223,926 | $16,250 |
| 34 | Biotechnologymain feeder CIP 26.1201In Colorado → | 20 | 0.4% | 2 | $49,023 | $21,309 |
| 35 | CIP 14.3701In Colorado → | 18 | 0.4% | 1 | $92,531 | $15,000 |
| 36 | CIP 40.0599In Colorado → | 18 | 0.4% | 3 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 37 | CIP 26.0403In Colorado → | 16 | 0.3% | 1 | $35,393 | $19,961 |
| 38 | CIP 40.0699In Colorado → | 15 | 0.3% | 1 | $39,678 | $24,864 |
| 39 | CIP 40.0603In Colorado → | 11 | 0.2% | 2 | $39,678 | $24,864 |
| 40 | CIP 26.0507In Colorado → | 9 | 0.2% | 1 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 41 | CIP 30.3401In Colorado → | 7 | 0.1% | 1 | — | — |
| 42 | CIP 26.0499In Colorado → | 6 | 0.1% | 1 | $35,393 | $19,961 |
| 43 | CIP 26.0503In Colorado → | 6 | 0.1% | 1 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 44 | CIP 26.1001In Colorado → | 6 | 0.1% | 1 | $39,202 | $18,000 |
| 45 | CIP 26.0599In Colorado → | 5 | 0.1% | 1 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 46 | CIP 26.9999In Colorado → | 4 | 0.1% | 2 | $31,278 | $23,000 |
| 47 | CIP 27.0599In Colorado → | 4 | 0.1% | 1 | $59,718 | $20,150 |
| 48 | CIP 40.0508In Colorado → | 4 | 0.1% | 1 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 49 | CIP 40.0602In Colorado → | 4 | 0.1% | 1 | $39,678 | $24,864 |
| 50 | CIP 26.0910In Colorado → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $31,146 | $23,384 |
| 51 | CIP 26.1104In Colorado → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 52 | CIP 30.3501In Colorado → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | — | — |
| 53 | Physical Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 40.0101In Colorado → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $27,007 | $9,000 |
| 54 | CIP 26.0210In Colorado → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 55 | CIP 26.0301In Colorado → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $33,009 | $21,975 |
| 56 | CIP 30.1001In Colorado → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $43,343 | $22,125 |
| 57 | CIP 52.0210In Colorado → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $43,506 | $25,000 |
Top 25 schools in Colorado
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 12 of the 28 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO Public · 18 feeder programs | 1,510 | Computational Science | — | 74% | — | 78% |
| 2 | Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO Public · 27 feeder programs | 978 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $32,958 | 67% | — | 89% |
| 3 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO Public · 24 feeder programs | 496 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $34,562 | 46% | — | 75% |
| 4 | Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO Public · 10 feeder programs | 298 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $41,018 | 32% | — | 99% |
| 5 | Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO Public · 12 feeder programs | 288 | Computational and Applied Mathematics | $50,398 | 82% | — | 61% |
| 6 | Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 179 | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | — | 88% | $23,510 | 18% |
| 7 | University of Denver Denver, CO Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 177 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $36,393 | 76% | $29,726 | 78% |
| 8 | University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO Public · 8 feeder programs | 168 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $34,647 | 51% | — | 86% |
| 9 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO Public · 9 feeder programs | 167 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $32,374 | 47% | — | 97% |
| 10 | United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO Public · 8 feeder programs | 153 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 88% | — | 14% |
| 11 | Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction, CO Public · 7 feeder programs | 130 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $32,565 | 41% | — | 82% |
| 12 | Regis University Denver, CO Private not-for-profit · 10 feeder programs | 108 | Data Science, General | — | 61% | $22,407 | 86% |
| 13 | Fort Lewis College Durango, CO Public · 8 feeder programs | 61 | Chemistry, General | $34,159 | 36% | — | 77% |
| 14 | Western Colorado University Gunnison, CO Public · 6 feeder programs | 53 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $29,881 | 50% | — | 100% |
| 15 | Colorado State University Pueblo Pueblo, CO Public · 5 feeder programs | 44 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $38,933 | 40% | — | 95% |
| 16 | Pikes Peak State College Colorado Springs, CO Public · 5 feeder programs | 35 | Zoology/Animal Biology | — | 21% | — | — |
| 17 | Colorado Mountain College Glenwood Springs, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 30 | Sustainability Studies | $31,734 | 27% | — | — |
| 18 | Community College of Aurora Aurora, CO Public · 3 feeder programs | 26 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 33% | — | — |
| 19 | Adams State University Alamosa, CO Public · 4 feeder programs | 25 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 39% | — | — |
| 20 | Front Range Community College Westminster, CO Public · 5 feeder programs | 21 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 35% | — | — |
| 21 | Community College of Denver Denver, CO Public · 4 feeder programs | 17 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 20% | — | — |
| 22 | Red Rocks Community College Lakewood, CO Public · 4 feeder programs | 16 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 32% | — | — |
| 23 | Colorado Christian University Lakewood, CO Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 64% | $23,447 | — |
| 24 | Arapahoe Community College Littleton, CO Public · 3 feeder programs | 11 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder | Public | 1,510 | 18 |
| Colorado State University - Fort Collins | Fort Collins | Public | 978 | 27 |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | Denver | Public | 496 | 24 |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver | Denver | Public | 298 | 10 |
| Colorado School of Mines | Golden | Public | 288 | 12 |
| Colorado College | Colorado Springs | Private not-for-profit | 179 | 9 |
| University of Denver | Denver | Private not-for-profit | 177 | 9 |
| University of Northern Colorado | Greeley | Public | 168 | 8 |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs | Public | 167 | 9 |
| United States Air Force Academy | USAF Academy | Public | 153 | 8 |
| Colorado Mesa University | Grand Junction | Public | 130 | 7 |
| Regis University | Denver | Private not-for-profit | 108 | 10 |
| Fort Lewis College | Durango | Public | 61 | 8 |
| Western Colorado University | Gunnison | Public | 53 | 6 |
| Colorado State University Pueblo | Pueblo | Public | 44 | 5 |
What natural sciences managers earn in Colorado
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $167,220. Colorado pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
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 Natural Sciences Managers page.
How to become a Natural Sciences Manager
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience needed
- 5 years or more
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or 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 25 majors mapped to Natural Sciences Managers24 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 14.1201Engineering Physics/Applied Physics
- 14.3701Operations Research
- 26.0101Biology/Biological Sciences, General
- 26.0202Biochemistry
- 26.0203Biophysics
- 26.0204Molecular Biology
- 26.0205Molecular Biochemistry
- 26.0206Molecular Biophysics
- 26.0207Structural Biology
- 26.0208Photobiology(no graduates reported)
- 26.0209Radiation Biology/Radiobiology
- 26.0210Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- 26.0299Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other
- 26.0301Botany/Plant Biology
- 26.0305Plant Pathology/Phytopathology
- 26.0307Plant Physiology
- 26.0399Botany/Plant Biology, Other
- 26.0401Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology
- 26.0403Anatomy
- 26.0406Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
- 26.0499Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other
- 26.0502Microbiology, General
- 26.0503Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
- 26.0504Virology
- 26.0505Parasitology
Common questions
Answers for people weighing natural sciences managers programs in Colorado.
What degree do you need to become a Natural Sciences Manager?+
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, 22.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Natural Sciences Manager?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 57 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biology, Computational Science, Mathematics, Chemistry, plus 34 more. Together they graduate about 5,009 people a year in Colorado.
How much do natural sciences managers earn in Colorado?+
The median is $152,730 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 8.7% below the U.S. median of $167,220. 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 natural sciences managers growing?+
BLS projects a +3.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 8,500 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 57 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 natural sciences managers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Research Coordinator, Clinical Trial Manager, Water Resources Planner, Clinical Program Manager, Natural Sciences Manager, Clinical Research Coordinator among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 11-9121.
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
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card