Bright outlook
Management
Clinical Research Coordinators
- Median pay
- $167,220
- Outlook
- Much faster than average
Bachelor's degree
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
ProgramsBiological and Biomedical Sciences
Genetics
CIP26.08
59 colleges offer Genetics. See what it covers, which degree levels are available and what graduates earn and borrow.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Colleges offering it
- 59
- at its most common level
- Bachelor's earnings
- $63,767
- median, 4 years after
- Bachelor's debt
- $18,882
- median federal loans
Colleges offering it, by degree level
- Certificate
- 5
- Bachelor's
- 27
- Master's
- 59
- Post-baccalaureate certificate
- 6
- Doctoral
- 55
- First professional
- 1
- Graduate/professional certificate
- 17
What it covers
About Genetics
A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the organization, recombination, function, regulation, and transmission of heritable information in biological organisms at all levels of complexity. Includes instruction in Mendelian genetics, mechanisms of gene regulation, chromosome structure and replication, epigenetic phenomena, DNA repair and recombination, sex determination, genetic interactions between genomes, and molecular evolution.
Definition: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs 2020, code 26.08.
Programs in this field
Colleges report these specific programs under CIP 26.08.
- Genetics, General
- Molecular Genetics
- Microbial and Eukaryotic Genetics
- Animal Genetics
- Plant Genetics
- Human/Medical Genetics
- Genome Sciences/Genomics
By degree level
Earnings and debt by degree level
Medians across colleges of each college's own program median. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working.
| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 5 | Not reported | $23,0682 colleges |
| Bachelor's | 27 | $63,7674 yrs after · 9 colleges | $18,88212 colleges |
| Master's | 59 | $112,4034 yrs after · 1 college | $45,0505 colleges |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 6 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Doctoral | 55 | $108,6294 yrs after · 2 colleges | Not reported |
| First professional | 1 | $73,9721 yr after · 1 college | $41,0001 college |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 17 | Not reported | Not reported |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Colleges with too few graduates have their earnings and debt suppressed, so the number of colleges reporting is smaller than the number offering the program.
Bachelor's programs
Where Genetics graduates earn the most
Median earnings four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates in the latest year. Earnings are one measure; cost and graduation rate matter too.
- 1
Durham, NH · Public · 20 graduates
$87,608
debt $27,000
- 2
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · Public · 34 graduates
$83,484
debt $18,883
- 3
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA · Public · 79 graduates
$77,411
debt $14,666
- 4
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · Public · 105 graduates
$68,402
debt $19,070
- 5
Columbus, OH · Public · 62 graduates
$63,767
debt $24,233
- 6
Texas A & M University-College Station
College Station, TX · Public · 33 graduates
$61,751
debt $14,155
- 7
East Lansing, MI · Public · 82 graduates
$55,404
debt $18,750
- 8
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · Public · 30 graduates
$55,319
debt $16,614
- 9
Ames, IA · Public · 36 graduates
$55,037
debt $23,500
Careers
Careers this program leads to
Occupations linked to Genetics by the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, highest national median pay first. Pay and outlook are BLS figures for each occupation.
- Bright outlook
Management
Natural Sciences Managers
- Median pay
- $167,220
- Outlook
- Much faster than average
Bachelor's degree
- Science
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Bright outlook
Management
Water Resource Specialists
- Median pay
- $167,220
- Outlook
- Much faster than average
Bachelor's degree
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Bright outlook
Science
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
- Median pay
- $103,410
- Outlook
- Much faster than average
Doctoral or professional degree
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Science
- Bright outlook
Healthcare practitioners
Genetic Counselors
- Median pay
- $100,040
- Outlook
- Much faster than average
Master's degree
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Bright outlook
Science
Bioinformatics Scientists
- Median pay
- $98,920
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Bachelor's degree
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
- Bright outlook
Science
Biological Scientists, All Other
- Median pay
- $98,920
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook
Science
Biologists
- Median pay
- $98,920
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Bachelor's degree
- Science
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
More in Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Other programs in the same area of study, by how many colleges offer them.
Every program in this area- Biology, General1,326 colleges
- Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology709 colleges
- Neurobiology and Neurosciences316 colleges
- Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology251 colleges
- Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences169 colleges
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology119 colleges
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology111 colleges
- Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences101 colleges
Questions about Genetics
How many colleges offer Genetics?
Published colleges on CollegesRef report Genetics at these degree levels: certificate (5 colleges), bachelor's (27 colleges), master's (59 colleges), post-baccalaureate certificate (6 colleges), doctoral (55 colleges), first professional (1 college), graduate/professional certificate (17 colleges). Counts are from College Scorecard field-of-study data (2025).
What do Genetics graduates earn?
At the median college, bachelor's graduates in Genetics earn $63,767 a year four years after finishing, across 9 colleges that report earnings. Figures cover graduates who received federal aid.
Where do Genetics graduates earn the most?
University of New Hampshire reports the highest median earnings for bachelor's graduates in Genetics: $87,608 four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates.