Biological & Physical Sciences
Quick Facts: Biological & Physical Sciences Training
Where it's offered
Biological & Physical Sciences programs are offered at 43 schools across 5 states. Most students attend a school within driving distance of home — use the state picker below to see programs near you.
Earnings expectations
Graduates earn approximately $26,356/year on average one year after completion, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Pay scales with experience, certifications, and regional cost-of-living.
Apprenticeship pathways
There are no Department of Labor registered apprenticeship pathways currently mapped to Biological & Physical Sciences, but related trades may have programs — check apprenticeship.gov directly.
Program quality benchmark
Across the 43 schools we analyze, the average TradeSchoolOutlook Score is 39/100. Higher-scoring programs combine strong graduate earnings, manageable cost, and strong job-market demand — see the leaderboard further down for the highest-rated options.
What Biological & Physical Sciences Graduates Do
Your career in the sciences likely begins in a classroom or a lab. As a secondary school teacher, you’ll spend your days guiding students through everything from frog dissections to chemical reactions, planning engaging lessons, and setting up lab equipment. Another path is postsecondary teaching, which involves more university-level lecturing, independent research, and mentoring future scientists.
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With experience, you can advance into leadership. A seasoned teacher might become a department head, while a successful researcher can progress to become a natural sciences manager. This senior role shifts your focus to directing major research projects, managing budgets, and supervising teams. This progression brings significant financial rewards, as experienced managers earn well over double what teachers start at. While teacher growth is slow, tens of thousands of positions open annually, and management roles are expanding. You'll likely use AI to help analyze data or plan curriculum, but the hands-on lab work, student mentorship, and complex problem-solving at the core of these careers remain human-led.
You may also want to compare Biological & Physical Sciences with Physical Sciences and Computational Science on earnings and ROI.
Find Biological & Physical Sciences Programs in Your State
Trade and community college programs are local decisions — most students pick a school within driving distance. Biological & Physical Sciences is offered at 43 schools across 5 states. Pick your state to see a local comparison (states with fewer programs link to the state hub).
Top Biological & Physical Sciences Programs Nationally
For context, here are the highest-scoring Biological & Physical Sciences programs in the country. Most students attend a school within 60 miles of home, so your state list above is usually more actionable — but these are the benchmarks others compete against.
Top 20 of 43 schools ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. Click any row for full earnings projections and career analysis.
| # | School | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverside City College Riverside, CA |
64 60–66 |
| 2 | Modesto Junior College Modesto, CA |
64 60–65 |
| 3 | Shasta College Redding, CA |
62 59–63 |
| 4 | American River College Sacramento, CA |
62 57–63 |
| 5 | Victor Valley College Victorville, CA |
59 54–60 |
| 6 | College of Lake County Grayslake, IL |
58 53–60 |
| 7 | Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA |
58 53–60 |
| 8 | Cerritos College Norwalk, CA |
58 52–59 |
| 9 | Imperial Valley College Imperial, CA |
57 52–58 |
| 10 | Laurel Ridge Community College Middletown, VA |
56 52–58 |
| 11 | Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto, CA |
55 53–57 |
| 12 | San Jacinto Community College Pasadena, TX |
54 47–56 |
| 13 | East Los Angeles College Monterey Park, CA |
54 51–55 |
| 14 | San Diego Mesa College San Diego, CA |
54 48–55 |
| 15 | Southwestern Illinois College Belleville, IL |
53 47–55 |
| 16 | Moreno Valley College Moreno Valley, CA |
53 47–55 |
| 17 | McHenry County College Crystal Lake, IL |
52 45–54 |
| 18 | Lewis and Clark Community College Godfrey, IL |
51 45–53 |
| 19 | City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College Chicago, IL |
50 49–51 |
| 20 | Triton College River Grove, IL |
50 44–52 |
Highest Earning Biological & Physical Sciences Programs
Schools where Biological & Physical Sciences graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Laurel Ridge Community College | $37,850/yr | 56 |
| College of Lake County | $37,724/yr | 58 |
| Riverside City College | $33,201/yr | 64 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College | $33,115/yr | 50 |
| Modesto Junior College | $31,960/yr | 64 |
| Shasta College | $31,415/yr | 62 |
| Tidewater Community College | $30,605/yr | 48 |
| Joliet Junior College | $30,509/yr | 47 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College | $30,203/yr | 47 |
| Southwestern Illinois College | $29,678/yr | 53 |
Best ROI for Biological & Physical Sciences
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Biological & Physical Sciences.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Mesa College | 266.1x | $19,521/yr | 54 |
| Modesto Junior College | 251.3x | $31,960/yr | 64 |
| Victor Valley College | 243.0x | $26,780/yr | 59 |
| Cerritos College | 224.8x | $25,221/yr | 58 |
| Imperial Valley College | 218.9x | $23,311/yr | 57 |
| Santa Ana College | 201.9x | $25,393/yr | 58 |
| American River College | 192.6x | $29,022/yr | 62 |
| Moreno Valley College | 179.1x | $20,108/yr | 53 |
| Riverside City College | 175.4x | $33,201/yr | 64 |
| Shasta College | 130.2x | $31,415/yr | 62 |
Related Majors
Explore similar fields of study.
Considering a 4-Year Degree?
Compare the trade route with a bachelor's degree. See how Biological & Physical Sciences degree programs stack up on earnings and ROI.