Biological Sciences
Associate in Science- Cost
- $12,343*
Learn about life
Investigate the foundations of nature
Understand and appreciate the infinite complexities of life by studying biological sciences at College of Lake County. Inside this fascinating scientific arena, you study ever-evolving subjects like anthropology, chemistry and more. You learn what makes us, well, us, and you open exciting (and often lucrative) career paths.
What can you do with an A.S. in Biological Sciences?
The Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in biological sciences prepares you to transfer and complete a bachelor’s degree in microbiology, zoology or related fields, which prepares you for these careers.
Highlights
-
Program Length: 2 Years
Full-time students finish in 2 years. -
Financial Aid/Scholarships Available
Based on need and/or achievement. Explore ways to pay for college. -
Transfer Degree
Save on your first 2 years and transfer your credits to the 4-year school of your choice.
Career Outlook
-
Conduct research in the genetics, nutrition, reproduction, growth, and development of domestic farm animals.
-
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
- Entry-Level
- $46,384
- Median
- $63,869
- Senior-Level
- $108,788
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Entry-Level
- $22.30
- Median
- $30.70
- Senior-Level
- $52.29
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
-
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
- Certificate
- 4.35%
- Associate Degree
- 4.35%
- Bachelor's Degree
- 13.04%
- Master's Degree
- 21.74%
- Doctorate
- 56.52%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
-
-
Study the chemical composition or physical principles of living cells and organisms, their electrical and mechanical energy, and related phenomena. May conduct research to further understanding of the complex chemical combinations and reactions involved in metabolism, reproduction, growth, and heredity. May determine the effects of foods, drugs, serums, hormones, and other substances on tissues and vital processes of living organisms.
-
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
- Entry-Level
- $45,457
- Median
- $86,600
- Senior-Level
- $126,228
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Entry-Level
- $21.85
- Median
- $41.63
- Senior-Level
- $60.68
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
-
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
- Bachelor's Degree
- 25%
- Master's Degree
- 10%
- Doctorate
- 65%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
-
-
Conduct research using bioinformatics theory and methods in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, computational biology, proteomics, computer information science, biology and medical informatics. May design databases and develop algorithms for processing and analyzing genomic information, or other biological information.
-
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
- Entry-Level
- $46,301
- Median
- $74,939
- Senior-Level
- $123,202
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Entry-Level
- $22.26
- Median
- $36.03
- Senior-Level
- $59.23
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
-
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
- Bachelor's Degree
- 33.61%
- Master's Degree
- 20.17%
- Doctorate
- 46.22%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
-
-
Teach courses in biological sciences. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
-
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
- Entry-Level
- $44,643
- Median
- $80,088
- Senior-Level
- $139,804
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Entry-Level
- $21.45
- Median
- $38.50
- Senior-Level
- $67.21
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
-
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
- Associate Degree
- 1.27%
- Bachelor's Degree
- 0.2%
- Master's Degree
- 11.73%
- Doctorate
- 86.81%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
-
-
Assist biological and medical scientists. Set up, operate, and maintain laboratory instruments and equipment, monitor experiments, collect data and samples, make observations, and calculate and record results. May analyze organic substances, such as blood, food, and drugs.
-
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
- Entry-Level
- $36,717
- Median
- $49,802
- Senior-Level
- $81,575
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Entry-Level
- $17.64
- Median
- $23.93
- Senior-Level
- $39.21
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
-
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
- High school diploma or less
- 1.43%
- Certificate
- 0.93%
- Some college
- 1.43%
- Bachelor's Degree
- 63.12%
- Master's Degree
- 29.36%
- Doctorate
- 3.73%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
-
-
Research or study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and functions.
-
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
- Entry-Level
- $46,301
- Median
- $74,939
- Senior-Level
- $123,202
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Entry-Level
- $22.26
- Median
- $36.03
- Senior-Level
- $59.23
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
-
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
- Bachelor's Degree
- 42.69%
- Master's Degree
- 56.93%
- Doctorate
- 0.38%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
-
-
Develop and apply biostatistical theory and methods to the study of life sciences.
-
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
- Entry-Level
- $83,511
- Median
- $120,284
- Senior-Level
- $186,142
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Entry-Level
- $40.14
- Median
- $57.83
- Senior-Level
- $89.48
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
-
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
- Bachelor's Degree
- 12.5%
- Master's Degree
- 58.33%
- Doctorate
- 29.17%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
-
Need help?
Your College & Career Navigator (CCN) helps you
- complete the admission process
- choose an academic program
- enroll in first-semester classes
- get access to helpful resources
Recommended Pathway
This pathway serves as a guide for students to complete the degree or certificate assuming full-time enrollment (registered in 12 or more credit hours per semester) with Semester 1 typically representing a Fall term. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their College and Career Navigator (CCN) to identify coursework that will meet degree requirements based on individual academic goals. For a more inclusive list of course options, see the college catalog.
Exception occured while executing the controller. Check error logs for details.
*Cost is estimated based on recommended pathway credit hours. This includes in-district tuition and other fees, such as books and materials before financial aid is applied, as well as grants, loans or scholarships. There are many opportunities for financial assistance at CLC. Learn more about Cost of Attendance.
Learn how CLC helps you transfer
Start at CLC and continue with a 4-year school to earn your bachelor's degree. CLC has partnerships with many colleges and universities, covering a wide range of programs.
Our Guaranteed Transfer Partnerships (GTAs) with a select number of schools guarantee admission to students who meet specific criteria.
Biological Sciences at CLC
Get the bigger picture
Learn about courses, faculty, related programs and more.
Frequently asked questions
-
In this program, you learn by doing. Nearly all of the courses in this program have a lab component. This hands-on approach reinforces the topics covered in lectures. It also provides you with valuable real-world experience that transfers to your later learning and future career.
-
As part of our learning-by-doing approach, you can design and perform your own experiments in a special research course. You can even submit your experiments for peer review and awards at a competition held each spring.
-
Three reasons:
- Small class sizes mean you get individualized attention. You’re never alone in your journey!
- Our tuition is inexpensive, and we offer great scholarships for Biological Sciences students.
- You have a wide range of opportunities after graduation, including succeeding at a 4-year school or in one of CLC’s allied health programs.
-
Yes—well, most of them. Every course in this program is offered in an online format, except for our field courses which must be taken in person.
Attend class in the way that works best for your goals:
- Virtual Live: Learn remotely in real time. Take classes taught live via Zoom.
- Online: Have the flexibility to complete coursework without scheduled meetings while staying actively engaged in a fully online environment.
- In-person: Keep your degree on track with classes that meet face-to-face, providing you with opportunities to interact in person with faculty and peers.
-
Yes. There’s a distinct advantage to earning your associate degree—a 30% advantage. The Brookings Institution reports that employees with associate degrees earn 30% more on average than those with high school diplomas. Over a lifetime, the earnings of an associate degree recipient are roughly $170,000 higher than those of a high school graduate.
-
Yes! Researchers have looked at how community college students fare after transferring. The biggest marker for success? Finishing your associate degree before transferring. In fact, those students seem to do better at the 4-year than students who started at the 4-year.
-
The estimated cost of this program appears at the top of this web page, under the program title.
The cost is based on recommended pathway credit hours. It includes in-district tuition and fees, such as for books and materials. It does not factor in financial aid (grants, loans, scholarships) that you may receive.
Some courses in this program are subject to variable tuition and course fees because they provide specialized experiences, instruction or technology/equipment.
View courses with variable tuition and fees
Many opportunities exist at CLC to get financial assistance. Learn more about Cost of Attendance.
-
Kamden Kuklinski
Transfer student
“CLC was a really good option for me. I think it was the perfect way to go because it was very affordable. The smaller class sizes and community feel definitely made it feel like home.”
Kamden studied biological sciences at CLC, then transferred to Lake Forest College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in neuroscience. He works at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis doing biomedical research as he prepares for graduate school.
Take the next step...
Be debt-free at CLC
CLC has some of the lowest tuition around. Financial aid and scholarships are available—even for working adults.
Explore careers
Discover majors and career paths to complement and extend your intuitive interests and abilities.
Request info
Your education is a big investment of your time, money and attention. Gather all the info you need.
Get started
Start your application today—it’s free and easy to complete. When you’re ready, we’re ready to help you take the next step.