by our College Data Analytics TeamEpidemiology was the 280th most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 2,305 degrees in this year alone. This is a difference of 125 over the prior year, a growth of 5.4%.
This year's Best Epidemiology Schools ranking compares 55 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom epidemiology rankings further below.
Epidemiology majors are found most commonly in careers in which using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems is important. Required skills include understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents and talking to others to convey information effectively.
epidemiology degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. Specific epidemiology careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
There are many different epidemiology degree levels. You can spend many years getting as high as a in epidemiology to something that takes less time like a . The time it takes to complete a epidemiology degree varies depending on the program.
| 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 master's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to epidemiology, with approximately 38.7% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to epidemiology tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 38.7% |
| Doctoral Degree | 25.9% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 24.9% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 7.1% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 1.2% |
About 89.3% of workers in careers related to epidemiology obtain at least master's degrees. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in epidemiology have received.
This of course varies depending on which epidemiology career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your epidemiology degree? Epidemiology careers are expected to grow 21.4% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to epidemiology.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Professors | 294,000 | 25.9% |
| Medical Scientists | 136,100 | 13.4% |
| Epidemiologists | 6,600 | 8.2% |
As you might expect, salaries for epidemiology graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for epidemiology graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers epidemiology grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Health Specialties Professors | $122,320 |
| Medical Scientists | $96,420 |
| Epidemiologists | $75,690 |
With over 159 different epidemiology 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 epidemiology school rankings to help you with this.
One of 11 majors within the Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology area of study, Epidemiology has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Marine Biology | 1,835 |
| Ecology | 1,060 |
| Evolutionary Biology | 697 |
| Environmental Biology | 466 |
| Conservation Biology | 309 |
Image Credit: By Ernst Haeckel under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
