Best Biological Technician programs in Kansas, 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.
25 schools in Kansas run programs that feed this job, graduating 832 people a year. The job pays a median of $51,630 in Kansas across about 480 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Kansas that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
14 programs in Kansas that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Kansas (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 Kansas page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology/Biological Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 26.0101In Kansas → | 507 | 60.9% | 25 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 26.0202In Kansas → | 89 | 10.7% | 8 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 3 | Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biologymain feeder CIP 26.0406In Kansas → | 78 | 9.4% | 1 | $35,393 | $19,961 |
| 4 | CIP 26.0502In Kansas → | 45 | 5.4% | 2 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 5 | CIP 26.0709In Kansas → | 34 | 4.1% | 1 | $28,266 | $24,393 |
| 6 | Biostatisticsmain feeder CIP 26.1102In Kansas → | 31 | 3.7% | 1 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 7 | CIP 26.0701In Kansas → | 18 | 2.2% | 1 | $28,266 | $24,393 |
| 8 | CIP 26.0204In Kansas → | 9 | 1.1% | 2 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 9 | Biomedical Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 26.0102In Kansas → | 6 | 0.7% | 2 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 10 | Neurosciencemain feeder CIP 26.1501In Kansas → | 6 | 0.7% | 1 | $31,687 | $22,936 |
| 11 | Computational Biologymain feeder CIP 26.1104In Kansas → | 3 | 0.4% | 1 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 12 | Marine Biology and Biological Oceanographymain feeder CIP 26.1302In Kansas → | 2 | 0.2% | 1 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 13 | CIP 26.0503In Kansas → | 2 | 0.2% | 1 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 14 | CIP 26.0801In Kansas → | 2 | 0.2% | 1 | $31,800 | $21,424 |
Top 25 schools in Kansas
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 8 of the 25 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Kansas Lawrence, KS Public · 9 feeder programs | 235 | Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology | — | 69% | — | 93% |
| 2 | Kansas State University Manhattan, KS Public · 5 feeder programs | 175 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $27,301 | 71% | — | 82% |
| 3 | Wichita State University Wichita, KS Public · 2 feeder programs | 68 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $34,271 | 51% | — | 94% |
| 4 | Fort Hays State University Hays, KS Public · 1 feeder programs | 62 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $37,134 | 48% | — | 90% |
| 5 | Pittsburg State University Pittsburg, KS Public · 1 feeder programs | 41 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $32,134 | 57% | — | 89% |
| 6 | Emporia State University Emporia, KS Public · 1 feeder programs | 31 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 56% | — | 98% |
| 7 | Cleveland University - Kansas City Overland Park, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 30 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $39,724 | 100% | $33,244 | 69% |
| 8 | Newman University Wichita, KS Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 29 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 53% | $18,520 | 74% |
| 9 | Friends University Wichita, KS Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 24 | Zoology/Animal Biology | $24,692 | 43% | $24,084 | 55% |
| 10 | Benedictine College Atchison, KS Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 22 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 62% | $24,826 | 98% |
| 11 | University of Saint Mary Leavenworth, KS Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 14 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $34,718 | 48% | $22,730 | 87% |
| 12 | Baker University Baldwin City, KS Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 13 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 58% | $21,404 | 94% |
| 13 | Ottawa University - Ottawa Ottawa, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 28% | $26,935 | 83% |
| 14 | Washburn University Topeka, KS Public · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 53% | — | — |
| 15 | Kansas Wesleyan University Salina, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 49% | $23,014 | 72% |
| 16 | Southwestern College Winfield, KS Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 9 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 36% | $26,868 | 76% |
| 17 | Tabor College Hillsboro, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 34% | $20,022 | 65% |
| 18 | Bethany College Lindsborg, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $29,330 | 36% | $28,916 | 56% |
| 19 | Bethel College - North Newton North Newton, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 41% | $23,560 | 94% |
| 20 | Butler Community College El Dorado, KS Public · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 32% | — | — |
| 21 | MidAmerica Nazarene University Olathe, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 54% | $28,845 | 79% |
| 22 | McPherson College McPherson, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 34% | $24,595 | 77% |
| 23 | Sterling College Sterling, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 41% | $22,406 | 48% |
| 24 | Independence Community College Independence, KS Public · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 26% | — | — |
| 25 | Central Christian College of Kansas McPherson, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 27% | $12,537 | 53% |
All 25 schools in Kansas
Every school in Kansas 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 Kansas | Lawrence | Public | 235 | 9 |
| Kansas State University | Manhattan | Public | 175 | 5 |
| Wichita State University | Wichita | Public | 68 | 2 |
| Fort Hays State University | Hays | Public | 62 | 1 |
| Pittsburg State University | Pittsburg | Public | 41 | 1 |
| Emporia State University | Emporia | Public | 31 | 1 |
| Cleveland University - Kansas City | Overland Park | Private not-for-profit | 30 | 1 |
| Newman University | Wichita | Private not-for-profit | 29 | 3 |
| Friends University | Wichita | Private not-for-profit | 24 | 3 |
| Benedictine College | Atchison | Private not-for-profit | 22 | 2 |
| University of Saint Mary | Leavenworth | Private not-for-profit | 14 | 2 |
| Baker University | Baldwin City | Private not-for-profit | 13 | 2 |
| Ottawa University - Ottawa | Ottawa | Private not-for-profit | 13 | 1 |
| Washburn University | Topeka | Public | 12 | 2 |
| Kansas Wesleyan University | Salina | Private not-for-profit | 11 | 1 |
What biological technicians earn in Kansas
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $57,510. Kansas pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Kansas
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 Kansas
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 Kansas.
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 507 degrees in Kansas in 2024-25, 60.9% 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 14 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biology, Biochemistry, Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Zoology/Animal Biology, plus 5 more. Together they graduate about 832 people a year in Kansas.
How much do biological technicians earn in Kansas?+
The median is $51,630 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 10.2% below 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 Kansas?+
25 institutions in Kansas reported graduates from at least one of the 14 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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