Best Biological Science Teacher, Postsecondary programs in Tennessee, ranked by enrollment
Teach courses in biological sciences.
39 schools in Tennessee run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,338 people a year. The job pays a median of $78,940 in Tennessee across about 830 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Tennessee that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
28 programs in Tennessee that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Tennessee (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 Tennessee page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 26.0101In Tennessee → | 1,314 | 56.2% | 35 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 26.1501In Tennessee → | 273 | 11.7% | 6 | $31,687 | $22,936 |
| 3 | CIP 26.9999In Tennessee → | 136 | 5.8% | 8 | $31,278 | $23,000 |
| 4 | CIP 26.0202In Tennessee → | 131 | 5.6% | 11 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 5 | CIP 30.1901In Tennessee → | 99 | 4.2% | 3 | $30,508 | $24,586 |
| 6 | CIP 26.0102In Tennessee → | 92 | 3.9% | 8 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 7 | CIP 26.0204In Tennessee → | 87 | 3.7% | 4 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 8 | CIP 26.0210In Tennessee → | 23 | 1.0% | 3 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 9 | CIP 26.0502In Tennessee → | 22 | 0.9% | 2 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 10 | CIP 26.1001In Tennessee → | 17 | 0.7% | 2 | $39,202 | $18,000 |
| 11 | CIP 26.0406In Tennessee → | 16 | 0.7% | 3 | $35,393 | $19,961 |
| 12 | CIP 26.0503In Tennessee → | 15 | 0.6% | 1 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 13 | CIP 26.0806In Tennessee → | 14 | 0.6% | 1 | $31,800 | $21,424 |
| 14 | CIP 26.1307In Tennessee → | 12 | 0.5% | 2 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 15 | CIP 26.0911In Tennessee → | 11 | 0.5% | 1 | $31,146 | $23,384 |
| 16 | CIP 26.1305In Tennessee → | 11 | 0.5% | 3 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 17 | CIP 26.1599In Tennessee → | 10 | 0.4% | 1 | $31,687 | $22,936 |
| 18 | CIP 26.0910In Tennessee → | 9 | 0.4% | 1 | $31,146 | $23,384 |
| 19 | CIP 26.0403In Tennessee → | 7 | 0.3% | 1 | $35,393 | $19,961 |
| 20 | CIP 26.0902In Tennessee → | 7 | 0.3% | 1 | $31,146 | $23,384 |
| 21 | CIP 26.1301In Tennessee → | 7 | 0.3% | 1 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 22 | CIP 13.1322In Tennessee → | 6 | 0.3% | 3 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 23 | CIP 26.1201In Tennessee → | 4 | 0.2% | 1 | $49,023 | $21,309 |
| 24 | CIP 26.1310In Tennessee → | 4 | 0.2% | 1 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 25 | CIP 26.0203In Tennessee → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 26 | CIP 26.0701In Tennessee → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $28,266 | $24,393 |
| 27 | CIP 26.1199In Tennessee → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 28 | CIP 30.1001In Tennessee → | 2 | 0.1% | 1 | $43,343 | $22,125 |
Top 25 schools in Tennessee
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 14 of the 39 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN Public · 7 feeder programs | 534 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $27,487 | 74% | — | 42% |
| 2 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 15 feeder programs | 250 | Neuroscience | $25,830 | 94% | $14,854 | 6% |
| 3 | Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN Public · 4 feeder programs | 239 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $35,986 | 54% | — | 69% |
| 4 | University of Memphis Memphis, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 117 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $32,145 | 51% | — | 72% |
| 5 | Lipscomb University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 110 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $20,387 | 72% | $24,309 | 68% |
| 6 | Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 104 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $25,087 | 58% | — | 76% |
| 7 | Rhodes College Memphis, TN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 103 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $28,901 | 85% | $19,854 | 50% |
| 8 | Belmont University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 84 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 71% | $29,246 | 95% |
| 9 | East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN Public · 4 feeder programs | 83 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $28,138 | 53% | — | 86% |
| 10 | The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 76 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $29,643 | 50% | — | 81% |
| 11 | Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, TN Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 66 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 50% | $18,981 | 63% |
| 12 | Tennessee State University Nashville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 65 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $30,672 | 34% | — | 70% |
| 13 | The University of the South Sewanee, TN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 65 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $23,932 | 80% | $21,573 | 57% |
| 14 | Southern Adventist University Collegedale, TN Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 56 | Biomedical Sciences, General | — | 49% | $24,187 | 65% |
| 15 | Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 47 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $24,662 | 40% | — | 96% |
| 16 | Cumberland University Lebanon, TN Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 42 | Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | — | 46% | $19,206 | 67% |
| 17 | The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 32 | Biomedical Sciences, General | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | Union University Jackson, TN Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 27 | Molecular Biology | — | 66% | $25,882 | 60% |
| 19 | The University of Tennessee - Martin Martin, TN Public · 3 feeder programs | 22 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $25,185 | 53% | — | 88% |
| 20 | Carson - Newman University Jefferson City, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 20 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 53% | $19,537 | 90% |
| 21 | Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 18 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 55% | $11,063 | 87% |
| 22 | Freed - Hardeman University Henderson, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 71% | $19,418 | 60% |
| 23 | Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 18 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 53% | $14,286 | 69% |
| 24 | The University of Tennessee Southern Pulaski, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 17 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 37% | — | 87% |
| 25 | Maryville College Maryville, TN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 16 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 50% | $20,489 | 61% |
All 39 schools in Tennessee
Every school in Tennessee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville | Public | 534 | 7 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 250 | 15 |
| Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro | Public | 239 | 4 |
| University of Memphis | Memphis | Public | 117 | 2 |
| Lipscomb University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 110 | 4 |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville | Public | 104 | 1 |
| Rhodes College | Memphis | Private not-for-profit | 103 | 3 |
| Belmont University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 84 | 3 |
| East Tennessee State University | Johnson City | Public | 83 | 4 |
| The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga | Chattanooga | Public | 76 | 1 |
| Lincoln Memorial University | Harrogate | Private not-for-profit | 66 | 4 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville | Public | 65 | 1 |
| The University of the South | Sewanee | Private not-for-profit | 65 | 3 |
| Southern Adventist University | Collegedale | Private not-for-profit | 56 | 5 |
| Austin Peay State University | Clarksville | Public | 47 | 1 |
What biological science teachers, postsecondary earn in Tennessee
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $84,620. Tennessee pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Tennessee
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 Science Teachers, Postsecondary page.
How to become a Biological Science Teacher, Postsecondary
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
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 Tennessee
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary24 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 13.1316Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education
- 13.1322Biology Teacher Education
- 26.0101Biology/Biological Sciences, General
- 26.0102Biomedical 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
- 26.0404Developmental Biology and Embryology
- 26.0406Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
- 26.0407Cell Biology and Anatomy
- 26.0499Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other
- 26.0502Microbiology, General
Common questions
Answers for people weighing biological science teachers, postsecondary programs in Tennessee.
What degree do you need to become a Biological Science Teacher, Postsecondary?+
Doctoral or professional 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 1,314 degrees in Tennessee in 2024-25, 56.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Biological Science Teacher, Postsecondary?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 28 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biology, Neurobiology and Neurosciences, Biochemistry, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, plus 12 more. Together they graduate about 2,338 people a year in Tennessee.
How much do biological science teachers, postsecondary earn in Tennessee?+
The median is $78,940 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 6.7% below the U.S. median of $84,620. 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 science teachers, postsecondary growing?+
BLS projects a +7.3% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 5,400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Tennessee?+
39 institutions in Tennessee reported graduates from at least one of the 28 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 science teachers, postsecondary work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Biology Professor, Biology Instructor, Associate Professor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1042.
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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