What can you do with a Biology degree from Illinois State University?

First, some facts. Of the Biology graduates from Illinois State University we've analyzed , here's how many have used (or NOT used) their degree in their career:

These are estimates based on AI analysis of 13 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Significantly above average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 81%, Biology graduates from Illinois State University have a much higher likelihood (+14%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

And for comparison, here's the chart for all profiles we've looked at across all degrees.

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Also, after graduating, only 30% of these graduates have pursued further education other than another Bachelor's degree (such as a Masters degree or other), compared to the average across all profiles of 35%. This suggests a Bachelors degree is enough for most Biology graduates, and it's normal to look for work straight after graduation.

See the details:

• What jobs can you get with a Biology degree from Illinois State University?
• What do Biology graduates from Illinois State University do 1, 5 or 10 years out?
• How hard is a Biology degree from Illinois State University? How long does it take?
• How much money can you make with a Biology degree from Illinois State University?
• What are the best colleges for Biology?

View a random Biology graduate from Illinois State University and our analysis:

Relevance score: 86% We think this person has gone into a career highly relevant to their degree. DEGREE INFO Graduated in 2010 from Illinois State University with a Bachelor in Biology. Also pursued further education since (see below). JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION Head J.V. Boys Soccer Coach Normal Cummunity HS Aug 2012 - May 2014 As the Head J.V. Boys Soccer Coach, some knowledge of biology may aid in understanding physical fitness and health, but it does not substantially utilize the core qualifications of a Biology degree. Head Soccer Coach Illinois Fusion Soccer Club Aug 2012 - Jun 2014 While coaching at Illinois Fusion Soccer Club may benefit from biological knowledge relating to physiology and sports-related health issues, it is not a direct application of the biology degree. Science Educator Naperville North High School Aug 2014 - Present As a Science Educator, the role directly leverages the biological knowledge and skills gained from the Bachelor's degree, requiring substantial use of biology in teaching. FURTHER DEGREES DONE SINCE GRADUATING Master of Arts (M.A.) North Central College 2015 - 2017 ABOUT No information provided.

What jobs can you get with a Biology degree from Illinois State University?

The top 10 most common jobs done by the graduates we've analyzed (ranked most common to least) are:

• Oncology Internship
• Midwest Account Manager
• B2B Sales Representative
• Territory Account Manager
• California Regional Sales Manager
• Midwest Sales Account Manager
• Territory Manager
• Account Executive - Patient Monitoring & Ventilation
• Retail Supervisor
• Quality Control Technician

When looking at the career paths of Biology graduates from Illinois State University, you can see a mix of jobs that heavily utilize their biology knowledge and some that don't really connect at all. A lot of graduates seem to gravitate towards roles in education and research—like Science Educators or Research Assistants—where they can apply their understanding of biological concepts directly. Other notable positions include Environmental Engineers and various roles in healthcare, like Medical Assistants and Medical Technologists, which also demand a strong biology background.

However, not all jobs linked to these graduates have much to do with biology. For instance, some went into sales and management roles, like Territory Account Managers or Sales Managers, where their biology degree doesn't play a crucial role in daily tasks. Even though a couple of these roles might touch on biology in some way, the core responsibilities often shift towards management or client relations. So, while many graduates find their way into relevant biology roles, a fair number of them end up in jobs that don't truly connect with their academic background.

Here is a visual representation of the most common words in job titles for Biology graduates (this is across all Biology graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Illinois State University):

What kind of career trajectories do Biology graduates from Illinois State University have? What do they do 1, 5 or 10 years out?

When looking at the career trajectories of Biology graduates from Illinois State University, it’s pretty clear that they often find themselves in a mix of relevant science-based jobs and roles that stray quite a bit from traditional biology paths. For those just starting out, many alumni took on entry-level positions related to education, environmental roles, or internships in research settings right after graduation. Jobs like research assistant positions or roles in environmental stewardship show that graduates are leveraging their biology degrees well in the early years. However, it’s worth noting that some graduates ventured into coaching or sales roles, which might suggest they either pursued personal interests or found it challenging to secure jobs directly linked to their degree right away.

Fast forward about five to ten years, and you can see a more solidified trend emerging. Many alumni who stuck to the science-related paths tend to find themselves in positions like medical professionals, environmental specialists, or even higher roles within educational institutions. For instance, some became family physicians or scientists, actively contributing to the healthcare and environmental sectors. Meanwhile, a subset of the graduates drifted further away from biology, landing in sales or product development roles, indicating that some just may not be as dedicated to working directly in the field anymore. Overall, while there are clear success stories in biology-related careers, there’s also a noticeable number of graduates who seem to pivot away, highlighting the diverse routes people take after studying biology.

How hard is a Biology degree from Illinois State University?

A Bachelor’s degree in Biology can be pretty challenging, but it really depends on your personal interest and dedication to the subject. At Illinois State University, like many other schools, you can expect a mix of tough classes like genetics, microbiology, and ecology, along with lab work that can be pretty demanding. If you enjoy science and have a knack for studying living organisms, you might find it manageable—or even enjoyable. But if you're not super into biology or studying in general, it might feel like a heavy load. Overall, it's not necessarily harder than average, but you’ll definitely need good time management and a willingness to dive deep into the material!

How long does it take?

Most commonly, in the LinkedIn profiles we've looked at, it takes people 4 years to finish a Bachelor degree in Biology.

Do Biology graduates from Illinois State University tend to make good money?

So, looking at these Biology grads from Illinois State University, it seems like their earning potential varies quite a bit depending on the paths they've taken. Some have landed pretty solid jobs, like the Family Physician and the Environmental Protection Agency scientist, which likely come with decent salaries because of the specialized skills and education involved. Others are in roles that may pay less, like coaching or working in retail, especially early in their careers. It seems like the ones who stayed in science-related fields tend to have better financial prospects, while those in education or animal care might not be making as much. Overall, some are likely doing pretty well financially, but others might be on the struggle bus a bit.

What buzzwords do Biology graduates use to describe themselves?

Here is a visual representation of the most common words seen in the "about" section of LinkedIn profiles who have a Bachelor degree in Biology (this is across all Biology graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Illinois State University). This may or may not be useful:

What are the best colleges for Biology?

Here are all colleges offering a Bachelor degree in Biology (ordered by the average relevance score of their Biology graduates, best to worst) where we have analyzed at least 10 of their graduates:

College	Score	Count
American University of Beirut	95	10
Luther College	90	11
Rutgers UniversityNew Brunswick	87	11
The College of New Jersey	86	13
Tufts University	86	17
Saint Louis University	86	11
Saint Joseph's University	86	10
Brandeis University	86	14
California State University-Los Angeles	85	12
Temple University	83	20
University of Pittsburgh	82	32
George Mason University	82	31
Boston University	82	12
University of Maryland	82	15
Wake Forest University	82	16
Seton Hall University	82	19
Texas Tech University	81	18
Illinois State University	81	13
Case Western Reserve University	81	12
University of Oregon	80	13
Cornell University	80	38
California State University, Fresno	80	11
University of Maryland Baltimore County	80	25
Washington University in St. Louis	80	13
California State University Channel Islands	80	11
Muhlenberg College	80	11
University of Scranton	80	11
University of Florida	79	67
Northeastern University	79	31
University of Nebraska-Lincoln	79	19
Georgia Institute of Technology	79	11
Boston College	79	23
University of Oklahoma	78	11
University of Alabama	78	16
Carleton College	78	11
University of Missouri-Columbia	77	29
University of Delaware	77	22
University of California, Santa Cruz	77	19
Providence College	77	11
Oberlin College	77	12
Iowa State University	76	17
University of Virginia	76	30
University of Massachusetts Amherst	76	18
Northwestern University	76	11
Kean University	76	13
Loyola University Chicago	76	25
William & Mary	76	19
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	76	18
Butler University	76	10
The University of Georgia	75	44
UC Irvine	75	56
University of New Hampshire	75	10
Drexel University	75	13
University of Louisiana at Lafayette	75	13
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	75	18
Binghamton University	75	24
The University of New Mexico	75	14
Wright State University	75	13
UC San Diego	75	13
Gustavus Adolphus College	75	10
Grand Valley State University	74	14
Miami University	74	10
University of North Florida	74	17
UC Santa Barbara	74	27
Rutgers University	74	18
Duke University	74	23
St. Olaf College	74	14
The University of Texas-Pan American	74	10
Davidson College	74	17
Ohio University	73	14
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	73	18
Towson University	73	14
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	73	60
The University of Texas at San Antonio	73	28
University of North Carolina at Charlotte	73	23
University of Illinois at Chicago	73	32
University of California San Diego	73	11
Stockton University	73	16
University of St. Thomas	73	12
University of Portland	73	15
University of Houston	72	39
San Diego State University	72	16
East Carolina University	72	22
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	72	20
Syracuse University	72	13
Wayne State University	72	20
University of Miami	72	15
University of Massachusetts Lowell	72	12
University at Albany, SUNY	72	12
Hunter College	72	10
University of San Francisco	72	10
University of Missouri-Kansas City	72	12
SUNY Oneonta	72	11
Fairleigh Dickinson University	72	15
Florida State University	71	54
James Madison University	71	40
California State University-Sacramento	71	13
University of Cincinnati	71	24
Oklahoma State University	71	15
West Virginia University	71	19
The University of Alabama	71	16
University of Vermont	71	17
University of Notre Dame	71	10
University of North Carolina at Wilmington	71	26
University of California, Irvine	71	38
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse	71	12
University of Nevada, Reno	71	15
University of Maine	71	14
University of San Diego	71	11
Williams College	71	12
Indiana University Bloomington	70	31
University of Arkansas	70	25
University of Nevada-Las Vegas	70	12
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	70	26
Radford University	70	10
University of Washington Bothell	70	11
University of Wisconsin-Madison	69	54
Virginia Tech	69	16
The University of Texas at Dallas	69	32
Montclair State University	69	17
Rowan University	69	19
University of California, Santa Barbara	69	18
Texas Christian University	69	14
SUNY Geneseo	69	13
Texas A&M University	68	44
University of Utah	68	18
Mississippi State University	68	14
California State University San Marcos	68	11
Salisbury University	68	13
Valdosta State University	68	15
Xavier University	68	11
Smith College	68	10
Willamette University	68	13
The Ohio State University	67	49
University of California, Los Angeles	67	46
Kent State University	67	10
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	67	14
University of California, Riverside	67	59
Kennesaw State University	67	21
University at Buffalo	67	22
University of Minnesota	67	12
Boise State University	67	10
Metropolitan State University of Denver	67	15
Villanova University	67	14
Stanford University	67	11
Campbell University	67	12
Pacific Lutheran University	67	13
University of Michigan	66	14
Clemson University	66	37
University of Iowa	66	10
University of South Carolina	66	23
Nova Southeastern University	66	26
University of Georgia - Franklin College of Arts and Sciences	66	24
State University of New York College at Geneseo	66	15
The University of Texas at Austin	65	49
University of North Texas	65	43
Georgia State University	65	39
University of Connecticut	65	22
College of Charleston	65	18
University of Pennsylvania	65	10
Brown University	65	10
University of North Carolina Wilmington	65	10
University of Illinois Chicago	65	17
Florida Atlantic University	64	44
Northern Arizona University	64	17
Ball State University	64	18
The University of Akron	64	10
University of Alabama at Birmingham	64	16
Emory University	64	18
Truman State University	64	12
Penn State University	63	39
Arizona State University	63	49
Colorado State University	63	29
University of Rhode Island	63	20
University of West Georgia	63	12
Jackson State University	63	13
University of Washington	62	51
Florida International University	62	59
Louisiana State University	62	33
Baylor University	62	29
North Carolina State University	61	28
Virginia Commonwealth University	61	49
Loyola Marymount University	61	12
St. Mary's College of Maryland	61	13
University of California, Davis	60	45
The University of Texas at Arlington	60	41
St. John's University	60	25
Texas State University	59	19
University of Mississippi	59	16
Marshall University	59	10
Purdue University	58	13
New York University	58	13
University of Kentucky	58	26
Old Dominion University	58	21
University of Colorado Denver	58	26
Texas Woman's University	58	14
Dillard University	58	10
San Francisco State University	57	10
Washington State University	57	18
Georgia Southern University	57	25
University of Central Florida	56	34
University of South Florida	56	12
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga	56	11
Howard University	56	27
Randolph-Macon College	56	10
Northern Illinois University	55	16
Grand Canyon University	54	14
Bowling Green State University	54	11
University of Hawaii at Manoa	54	16
University of Southern California	53	15
Central Connecticut State University	53	12
Oregon State University	52	13
Oakland University	52	18
University of Nebraska at Omaha	52	11
Christopher Newport University	52	11
San Diego State University-California State University	51	15
University of California, San Diego	51	21
New Mexico State University	51	13
Winthrop University	51	10
Eckerd College	50	10
Saint Peter's University	50	10
Stony Brook University	48	24
Texas Southern University	48	10
Francis Marion University	48	11
The Citadel	47	10
Spelman College	47	12
Southeastern Louisiana University	42	10
University of Louisville	37	11