by our College Data Analytics TeamBotany was the 612th most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 445 degrees in this year alone. This represents a 7.0% reduction in botany degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 476.
This year's Best Botany Schools ranking compares 36 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom botany rankings further below.
When studying Botany, you’ll learn that understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs. Required skills include communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience and giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Specific botany careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
Botany degree levels vary. You can spend many years getting as high as a in botany to something that takes less time like a . Depending on the botany degree you choose, obtaining your diploma can take anwhere from 1 to 4+ years.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to botany, with approximately 36.7% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for botany workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 35.6% |
| Doctoral Degree | 19.9% |
| Master’s Degree | 18.8% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 17.0% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 2.4% |
55.0% of botany workers have at least a master's. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in botany careers have.
This of course varies depending on which botany career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your botany degree? Botany careers are expected to grow 11.5% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to botany.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Science Professors | 71,700 | 15.1% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 62,300 | 9.9% |
| Biological Scientists | 41,800 | 8.0% |
As you might expect, salaries for botany graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for botany graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers botany grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Natural Sciences Managers | $139,680 |
| Biological Science Professors | $97,340 |
| Biological Scientists | $83,600 |
With over 123 different botany degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased botany school rankings to help you with this.
Botany is one of 4 different types of Botany/Plant Biology programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Plant Pathology/Phytopathology | 175 |
| Other Botany/Plant Biology | 46 |
| Plant Molecular Biology | 15 |
| Plant Physiology | 10 |
