by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Molecular Medicine explores Molecular Medicine. Read on to learn the important information every molecular medicine student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering molecular medicine programs.
Nationwide, molecular medicine draws strong interest, with 156 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Molecular Medicine Schools ranking analyzes these 8 schools to determine the best overall colleges for molecular medicine students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of molecular medicine programs later in this article.
Programs in Molecular Medicine develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations molecular medicine graduates commonly enter.
Skills built by a molecular medicine program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a molecular medicine major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several molecular medicine degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 97 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 59 |
People currently working in careers related to molecular medicine tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 36.3% |
| Doctoral degree | 17.6% |
| Post-doctoral training | 15.5% |
| Master’s degree | 13.2% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 5.1% |
| Some college courses | 4.1% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 4.0% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 3.1% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.7% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.3% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in molecular medicine careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Majoring in molecular medicine opens doors to many career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to molecular medicine.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to molecular medicine.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical Research Coordinators | 542,888 | 10.4% |
| Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 276,211 | 6.3% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 179,495 | 8.7% |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | 125,815 | 8.9% |
| Water Resource Specialists | 78,994 | -0.4% |
Salaries for molecular medicine graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers molecular medicine grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Water Resource Specialists | $179,716 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $132,227 |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $111,314 |
| Clinical Research Coordinators | $110,931 |
| Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $41,048 |
With 8 different molecular medicine programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased molecular medicine school rankings to help you.
Students interested in molecular medicine, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Molecular Medicine | 156 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Biology, General | 101,585 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 13,820 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 12,819 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 11,175 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 9,295 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 6,355 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 4,711 |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | 4,612 |
| Biotechnology | 3,869 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 3,638 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
