Best Life Scientist, All Other programs in Massachusetts, ranked by enrollment
All life scientists not listed.
64 schools in Massachusetts run programs that feed this job, graduating 3,801 people a year. The job pays a median of $125,260 in Massachusetts across about 100 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Massachusetts that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
6 programs in Massachusetts that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Massachusetts (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 Massachusetts page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 26.0101In Massachusetts → | 2,944 | 77.5% | 61 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 30.1901In Massachusetts → | 256 | 6.7% | 8 | $30,508 | $24,586 |
| 3 | CIP 30.1701In Massachusetts → | 218 | 5.7% | 4 | $36,206 | $29,240 |
| 4 | CIP 26.9999In Massachusetts → | 200 | 5.3% | 5 | $31,278 | $23,000 |
| 5 | CIP 51.2314In Massachusetts → | 92 | 2.4% | 6 | $35,966 | $26,323 |
| 6 | CIP 30.1801In Massachusetts → | 91 | 2.4% | 4 | $29,587 | $21,610 |
Top 25 schools in Massachusetts
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 33 of the 64 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 482 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $40,165 | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 2 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 3 feeder programs | 432 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $40,427 | 83% | — | 60% |
| 3 | Tufts University Medford, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 280 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $39,016 | 94% | $23,570 | 11% |
| 4 | Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 240 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $38,592 | 91% | $21,126 | 16% |
| 5 | University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 215 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $42,721 | 49% | — | 84% |
| 6 | Northeastern University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 196 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $45,494 | 91% | $18,925 | 5% |
| 7 | University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA Public · 3 feeder programs | 183 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $46,526 | 65% | — | 83% |
| 8 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 177 | Behavioral Sciences | — | 98% | $15,013 | 4% |
| 9 | Brandeis University Waltham, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 98 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $37,475 | 86% | $25,074 | 40% |
| 10 | Endicott College Beverly, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 89 | Behavioral Sciences | — | 76% | $34,195 | 71% |
| 11 | College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 73 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $43,276 | 87% | $24,533 | 18% |
| 12 | Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 64 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $44,626 | 53% | — | 88% |
| 13 | Salem State University Salem, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 64 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $45,670 | 50% | — | 96% |
| 14 | Simmons University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 61 | Nutrition Sciences | — | 72% | $24,848 | 70% |
| 15 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 53 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $51,711 | 90% | $32,926 | 60% |
| 16 | Emmanuel College Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 51 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $45,275 | 68% | $29,723 | 76% |
| 17 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 50 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 96% | $11,666 | 5% |
| 18 | Merrimack College North Andover, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 50 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $41,506 | 70% | $33,877 | 70% |
| 19 | Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, MA Public · 2 feeder programs | 49 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $41,250 | 55% | — | 87% |
| 20 | University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 48 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $41,204 | 52% | — | 91% |
| 21 | Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 47 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $39,270 | 84% | $26,083 | 36% |
| 22 | Assumption University Worcester, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 46 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $42,252 | 75% | $24,206 | 83% |
| 23 | Williams College Williamstown, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 46 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $41,213 | 94% | $10,747 | 8% |
| 24 | Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Norton, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 43 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $26,661 | 73% | $26,445 | 68% |
| 25 | Worcester State University Worcester, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 43 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $44,450 | 61% | — | 88% |
All 64 schools in Massachusetts
Every school in Massachusetts 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 482 | 4 |
| University of Massachusetts - Amherst | Amherst | Public | 432 | 3 |
| Tufts University | Medford | Private not-for-profit | 280 | 2 |
| Boston College | Chestnut Hill | Private not-for-profit | 240 | 2 |
| University of Massachusetts - Boston | Boston | Public | 215 | 1 |
| Northeastern University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 196 | 3 |
| University of Massachusetts - Lowell | Lowell | Public | 183 | 3 |
| Harvard University | Cambridge | Private not-for-profit | 177 | 4 |
| Brandeis University | Waltham | Private not-for-profit | 98 | 1 |
| Endicott College | Beverly | Private not-for-profit | 89 | 1 |
| College of the Holy Cross | Worcester | Private not-for-profit | 73 | 1 |
| Bridgewater State University | Bridgewater | Public | 64 | 1 |
| Salem State University | Salem | Public | 64 | 1 |
| Simmons University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 61 | 2 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Worcester | Private not-for-profit | 53 | 1 |
What life scientists, all other earn in Massachusetts
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $93,750. Massachusetts pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Massachusetts
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 Life Scientists, All Other page.
How to become a Life Scientist, All Other
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 10 majors mapped to Life Scientists, All Other10 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 26.0101Biology/Biological Sciences, General
- 26.1301Ecology
- 26.1399Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other
- 26.9999Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other
- 30.1701Behavioral Sciences
- 30.1801Natural Sciences
- 30.1901Nutrition Sciences
- 30.4301Geobiology
- 42.2706Behavioral Neuroscience
- 51.2314Rehabilitation Science
Common questions
Answers for people weighing life scientists, all other programs in Massachusetts.
What degree do you need to become a Life Scientist, All Other?+
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 2,944 degrees in Massachusetts in 2024-25, 77.5% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Life Scientist, All Other?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 6 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biology, Nutrition Sciences, Behavioral Sciences, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, plus 2 more. Together they graduate about 3,801 people a year in Massachusetts.
How much do life scientists, all other earn in Massachusetts?+
The median is $125,260 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 33.6% above the U.S. median of $93,750. 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 life scientists, all other growing?+
BLS projects a +3.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Massachusetts?+
64 institutions in Massachusetts reported graduates from at least one of the 6 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.
Do you need training or experience beyond a degree?+
BLS lists 'None' for related work experience and 'None' for on-the-job training typically needed to reach competency.
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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