by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Herbalism/Herbalist explores Herbalism/herbalist. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Utilize The Materia Medica And Clinical Practices Of Western, Native American, African, Australasian, And Other Herbal Medicine Traditions To Prevent And Cure Illness And Temporary Physical Disorders. Includes Instruction In Basic Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, And Toxicology; Nutrition; Terminology And Materia Medica; Therapeutic Herbalism; Herbal Pharmacy; Botanicals And Ethnobotany; Wildcrafting And Harvesting; Labeling And Dispensing Phytotherapy; Counterindications; Practice Management; Consultation Skills; And Professional Standards And Ethics. Continue reading for the key facts every herbalism/herbalist student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering herbalism/herbalist programs.
Nationwide, herbalism/herbalist is a popular field of study, with 113 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Herbalism/Herbalist Schools ranking analyzes these 5 schools to determine the best overall colleges for herbalism/herbalist students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of herbalism/herbalist programs later in this article.
Coursework for Herbalism/Herbalist build a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations herbalism/herbalist graduates commonly enter.
The skill set emphasized by a herbalism/herbalist program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a herbalism/herbalist major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several herbalism/herbalist 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 8 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 10 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 95 |
People currently working in careers related to herbalism/herbalist tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 31.9% |
| Doctoral degree | 28.1% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 12.4% |
| Master’s degree | 12.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 7.0% |
| Some college courses | 3.3% |
| First professional degree | 2.3% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 1.2% |
| Post-doctoral training | 1.2% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.6% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in herbalism/herbalist careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
A degree in herbalism/herbalist prepares you for many career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to herbalism/herbalist.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to herbalism/herbalist.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Midwives | 3,466,294 | 7.7% |
| Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other | 3,105,142 | 1.0% |
| Orthoptists | 2,932,094 | 4.8% |
| Naturopathic Physicians | 2,656,215 | 6.6% |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other | 2,119,723 | 14.6% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of herbalism/herbalist graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $16,376 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for herbalism/herbalist graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers herbalism/herbalist grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other | $138,809 |
| Naturopathic Physicians | $138,086 |
| Orthoptists | $135,811 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other | $117,846 |
| Midwives | $109,643 |
With 5 different herbalism/herbalist programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased herbalism/herbalist school rankings to help you.
Those considering herbalism/herbalist, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Aromatherapy | 8 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
