by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Clinical and Industrial Drug Development covers Clinical And Industrial Drug Development. A Program That Focuses On The Scientific Application Of Pharmacology, Pharmaceutics, And Industrial Management To The Development, Production, Marketing, And Distribution Of Pharmaceutical Products. Includes Instruction In Industrial Microbiology, Plasmids, Expression Vectors, Protein Chemistry, Assay And Evaluation, Drug Synthesis And Purification, Quality Control, Industrial Management, Production Security, Patent Procedures, Intellectual Property Regulations And Issues, Patent Enforcement And Defense, And Research Design And Testing. Examples: [Clinical And Industrial Drug Development (Ms)], [Clinical And Industrial Drug Development (Phd)]. Read on to learn the important information every clinical and industrial drug development student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering clinical and industrial drug development programs.
In the U.S., clinical and industrial drug development is a widely-pursued major, with 244 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Clinical and Industrial Drug Development Schools ranking analyzes these 12 schools to determine the best overall colleges for clinical and industrial drug development students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of clinical and industrial drug development programs later in this article.
Coursework for Clinical and Industrial Drug Development emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations clinical and industrial drug development graduates commonly enter.
The skill set built by a clinical and industrial drug development program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a clinical and industrial drug development major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several clinical and industrial drug development 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 15 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 224 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 5 |
People currently working in careers related to clinical and industrial drug development tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 35.4% |
| Master’s degree | 14.4% |
| Some college courses | 10.0% |
| Doctoral degree | 9.0% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 8.6% |
| Post-doctoral training | 7.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 6.9% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 6.2% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.5% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 0.3% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in clinical and industrial drug development careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
A degree in clinical and industrial drug development opens doors to many career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to clinical and industrial drug development.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to clinical and industrial drug development.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,335,407 | 10.7% |
| Clinical Research Coordinators | 542,888 | 10.4% |
| Geothermal Production Managers | 503,620 | 1.9% |
| Biomass Power Plant Managers | 450,707 | 4.2% |
| Quality Control Systems Managers | 241,551 | -3.1% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 219,777 | -3.0% |
| Biofuels Production Managers | 209,709 | 11.1% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 179,495 | 8.7% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of clinical and industrial drug development graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $100,486 |
| 4 years | $129,383 |
| 5 years | $140,029 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for clinical and industrial drug development graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers clinical and industrial drug development grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Water Resource Specialists | $179,716 |
| Biofuels Production Managers | $164,096 |
| Geothermal Production Managers | $160,381 |
| Biomass Power Plant Managers | $146,025 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $132,227 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $126,666 |
| Clinical Research Coordinators | $110,931 |
| Quality Control Systems Managers | $108,531 |
With 12 different clinical and industrial drug development programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased clinical and industrial drug development school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in clinical and industrial drug development, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
