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CIP 26.1201 Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Biotechnology

IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education · 2025

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Total graduates

3,626

2025 · 172 schools

International share

26.2%

949 international students

Bachelor's degrees

1,094

5.4% international

Master's degrees

2,342

37.1% international

Overview

Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that harnesses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives to develop or create products and technologies aimed at improving human health, agriculture, and environmental sustainability. This field merges biology with technology, incorporating techniques from molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, and microbiology.

Students pursuing a degree in biotechnology typically study a variety of subjects, including cell biology, genetic engineering, bioinformatics, and bioprocessing. They gain hands-on experience in laboratory techniques such as DNA sequencing, cloning, and protein analysis. This practical knowledge is crucial for addressing real-world challenges, such as developing new medical therapies, improving crop yields, or creating sustainable biofuels.

Biotechnology has a profound impact on healthcare, leading to advancements in drug development, gene therapy, and diagnostics. For instance, biotechnological methods have facilitated the production of insulin for diabetes management and monoclonal antibodies for various diseases. In agriculture, biotechnology is employed to create genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that are resistant to pests and diseases, contributing to food security.

The field of biotechnology is rapidly evolving, with ongoing research and innovations paving the way for new applications. Graduates in biotechnology can pursue careers in pharmaceuticals, environmental science, agriculture, and research institutions. With the growing demand for sustainable solutions and healthcare advancements, biotechnology remains a vital and promising field with significant potential for future development.

Graduates by year

Graduates by degree level (first and second majors)

AssociateBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral

From 2003 to 2025, graduates grew 515% and the international share went from 9.8% to 26.2%.

International share (%)
Graduates by group, 2025
White
30.8%
Asian
15.2%
Hispanic
14.5%
Black
7.1%
Other
6.2%
Intl.
26.2%

Colleges that award this degree

In 2025, 172 schools awarded this degree as a first major. The table lists those in the 2027 U.S. News National or Liberal Arts rankings, plus the unranked schools with the most graduates.

RankSchoolStateGraduatesInternational
#3 Harvard University Massachusetts 37 5
#5 Stanford University California 12 5
#7 University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 55 36
#9 Northwestern University Illinois 33 20
#9 Johns Hopkins University Maryland 500 119
#12 Columbia University in the City of New York New York 36 20
#14 Carnegie Mellon University Pennsylvania 16 11
#16 Brown University Rhode Island 51 14
#20 University of California-Berkeley California 16 6
#23 Georgetown University D.C. 54 17
#27 University of Southern California California 31 11
#31 Tufts University Massachusetts 1 1
#31 New York University New York 30 15
#34 University of California-Davis California 84 6
#34 University of California-Irvine California 27 8
#34 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Illinois 7 2
#34 Boston University Massachusetts 20 2
#34 Wake Forest University North Carolina 4 0
#34 University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin 48 2
#42 Northeastern University Massachusetts 315 236
#44 Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Jersey 37 2
#52 University of Georgia Georgia 46 5
#55 The Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania 14 10
#59 Brandeis University Massachusetts 6 0
#59 Texas A & M University-College Station Texas 27 20
#72 Syracuse University New York 30 6
#73 Indiana University-Bloomington Indiana 27 4
#73 Worcester Polytechnic Institute Massachusetts 21 5
#73 North Carolina State University at Raleigh North Carolina 26 3
#85 University of Delaware Delaware 12 1
#85 University at Buffalo New York 12 3
#95 American University D.C. 5 3
#95 University of Illinois at Chicago Illinois 33 25
#95 Rochester Institute of Technology New York 28 0
#100 Auburn University Alabama 8 0
#100 University of South Florida-Main Campus Florida 19 10
#109 University of California-Santa Cruz California 19 0
#109 University of New Hampshire-Main Campus New Hampshire 14 0
#109 Temple University Pennsylvania 2 0
#116 University of San Francisco California 37 7
#116 Brigham Young University-Provo Utah 27 0
#121 Arizona State University-Tempe Arizona 10 1
#121 University of Arizona Arizona 20 9
#121 University of Central Florida Florida 44 6
#121 The University of Texas at Dallas Texas 18 11
#133 Thomas Jefferson University Pennsylvania 15 2
#137 University of Alabama at Birmingham Alabama 56 35
#137 University of Maryland-Baltimore County Maryland 16 1
#137 Clarkson University New York 10 5
#137 St John's University (NY) New York 7 0
#137 University of Houston Texas 68 3
#137 James Madison University Virginia 36 1
#148 Catholic University of America D.C. 4 2
#148 University of Kansas Kansas 3 0
#148 University of Kentucky Kentucky 44 0
#148 University of Rhode Island Rhode Island 40 0
#156 CUNY--City College New York 11 3
#156 Oregon State University Oregon 6 0
#156 Duquesne University Pennsylvania 15 2
#169 Colorado State University-Fort Collins Colorado 1 0
#179 University of Utah Utah 4 0
#186 University of Hawaii at Manoa Hawaii 15 0
#186 Texas Tech University Texas 11 6
#191 Florida Atlantic University Florida 3 0
#208 California State University--Fresno California 5 2
#219 Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis Indiana 2 0
#219 University of Nevada-Reno Nevada 26 1
#219 New York Institute of Technology New York 7 0
#227 University of Texas-San Antonio Texas 21 2
#236 University of Colorado Denver Colorado 19 3
#236 Florida Institute of Technology Florida 23 12
#236 North Dakota State University-Main Campus North Dakota 6 0
#236 Kent State University at Kent Ohio 7 1
#250 South Dakota State University South Dakota 1 0
#262 University of Alabama--Huntsville Alabama 5 3
#299 Azusa Pacific University California 10 2
#299 Southern Connecticut State University Connecticut 3 1
#299 University of Nebraska--Omaha Nebraska 35 1
#308 Montana State University Montana 8 0
#317 Ferris State University Michigan 9 0
#317 Kean University New Jersey 11 1
#332 Texas Woman's University Texas 18 1
#342 University of Texas--Tyler Texas 9 8
#353 University of Houston--Clear Lake Texas 29 22
#365 Liberty University Virginia 5 0
#382 Wilmington University Delaware 2 0
#382 Roosevelt University Illinois 18 15
#382 Tarleton State University Texas 2 0
#382 Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico--Arecibo Puerto Rico 1 0
#382 Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce Puerto Rico 23 0
#382 Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus Puerto Rico 2 0
LAC #119 California State University-Channel Islands California 45 16
LAC #125 Emmanuel College Massachusetts 9 0
LAC #140 Alcorn State University Mississippi 1 0
LAC #146 Claflin University South Carolina 12 5
LAC #166 Fort Valley State University Georgia 8 8
LAC #172 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Wisconsin 6 0
LAC #184 West Virginia State University West Virginia 8 2
— University of Maryland Global Campus Maryland 153 13
— California State University-San Marcos California 52 3
— Morehouse School of Medicine Georgia 51 0
— University of New Hampshire at Manchester New Hampshire 46 22
— California State Polytechnic University-Pomona California 36 3
— Northeastern University Professional Programs Massachusetts 27 2
— Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo Puerto Rico 26 0
— Rush University Illinois 25 2
— Mount Marty University South Dakota 24 1
— Utah Valley University Utah 23 0
— Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Pennsylvania 23 18
— Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas Puerto Rico 22 0
— Worcester State University Massachusetts 20 1
— Endicott College Massachusetts 19 0
— William Paterson University of New Jersey New Jersey 17 3
— Gaston College North Carolina 17 0
— SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry New York 16 1
— University of Houston-Downtown Texas 16 3
— CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College New York 15 5
— SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill New York 15 12
— Central New Mexico Community College New Mexico 13 2
— Mount St. Mary's University Maryland 12 1
— Wake Technical Community College North Carolina 12 0
— University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Puerto Rico 12 0
— Portland Community College Oregon 11 0
— Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Texas 11 7
— Ivy Tech Community College Indiana 10 0
— Erie Community College New York 10 0
— Middlesex College New Jersey 9 1
— Bunker Hill Community College Massachusetts 8 1

Purple: international students are 25% or more of the school's graduates.

Related jobs and pay

OccupationUS employmentMean hourly wageMean annual wage
Natural Sciences Managers 108,690 $86.66 $180,250
Biological Scientists, All Other 55,850 $51.12 $106,330
Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary 50,190 — $102,840

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

Graduate counts: IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education, 2003–2025. Rankings: 2027 U.S. News.