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What is Biostatistics?

At its core, a biostatistics degree is a branch of biology emphasizing the utilization of statistics to provide scientists a deeper insight into living systems.  A major facet within biostatistics is medical biostatistics which focuses on the marriage between medicine and biology using advanced statistics.

Biostatistics includes a wide range of activities including the following core responsibilities:

  1. Establishing Biological Experiments
  2. Collection of Data
  3. Analysis of the Data
  4. Summarizing Data into Useful Forms
  5. Interpreting Data

The application of biostatistics can range from medicine to agriculture and from pharmacy to fishery and beyond.   This burgeoning industry is poised to grow at a rapid rate and technology melds with practical applications in the marketplace.

Career Summary

MEDIAN SALARY

$80,500

PERCENT ABOVE NATIONAL
INCOME AVERAGE

53.95%

TOTAL SECTOR EMPLOYMENT

30,891

Degree Median Salary vs Adjacent Degree Types

Source: BLS, US Census, and IPEDS

2024 Best Biostatistics Degree

Harvard University is well known for its state-of-the-art resources and devotion to excellence in teaching, learning, and research to develop students as future leaders and contributors to the world’s development. Recognized as the 'Best Value School' in America, the university commits itself to becoming an emerging educational power in liberal arts and sciences. 

Ranking 1st in the best biostatistics program, Harvard offers a PhD Program in the Department of Biostatistics, which trains its students to use innovative probabilistic and statistical theories in order to publish researches that can solve public health problems and other economic issues of the globe. In collaboration and mentored by top-notch research scientists and health professionals, and high-end infrastructures and equipment provided by the institute, scholars in the university develop remarkable innovations, inventions, and solutions designed to address a broad spectrum of issues related to human health, genomics, and biology. 

Acceptance Rate

4.64

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

Home to 83 Nobel Prize winners, Columbia University located in New York City is an institution known for its commendable learning environment and advanced curriculum that forms students from different diversities into significant leaders and well-versed citizens that can contribute to the betterment of the world. Some of the most renowned people like Theodore Roosevelt and Barack Obama are graduates of the school. 

Columbia University offers a top ranked biostatistics degree program that offers advanced knowledge and teaching at the highest level, living up the title of being a global research university. In this program, students collaborate with top-notch scientists and other professionals to design and analyze experimental projects and results in order to improve the healthcare system in the global community. Students may enroll in MPH, MS, DrPH, or PhD in Biostatistics Research. 

Acceptance Rate

5.45

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

Brown University is an Ivy League school that centers on student learning as they recognize their deep sense of purpose, driven by the idea that their academic achievements and effort will have a positive impact on the world. The top-performing research institute has an efficient standard in the fields of Biostatistics. 

At Brown, they offer a PhD degree in biostatistics.  This academic pathway helps students take a deep dive into biostats by helping to cultivate student investigators to develop quantitative approaches and theories. The main target is to form substantive results and solutions to the scientific problem in public health, medicine, biology, and social sciences. This program has already established remarkable and significant breakthroughs using high-end facilities and technology. 

Acceptance Rate

7.07

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

Succeeding its tradition of excellence through entrepreneurship, and engagement of the students, teachers, and staff, the University of Pennsylvania thrives in its pursuit of innovative knowledge and intellectual rigor. 

Acknowledged as one of the Ivy League schools in the country, it holds a high graduation rate of 95.69% and placed one of the best institutions offering a biostatistics degree program. It offers two training programs where students can choose from. The Master of Science (MS) degree in Biostatistics focuses on the theory and application of statistical methods and biomedical sciences. Whereas, the Doctor of Philosophy degree (Ph.D.) deals with statistical methods in health research. The school offers training grants for students who meet certain criteria in their profile and GPA. 

Acceptance Rate

7.66

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

With an acceptance rate of 11.42%, Duke University handpicks its students who possess an outstanding character, determination, and application. It provides a superior liberal education to its students boosting their intellectual growth and ethical standards to lead professions and become frontiers of knowledge on a global scale. 

With the university’s profound medical research capabilities to provide wide-ranging educational opportunities, the Department of Biostatistics offers a Ph.D. title to its deserving students. The program possesses a world-class biomedical research enterprise that emphasizes analytical skills, biological knowledge, and communication skills of its members. They aim to train outstanding biostatisticians, leaders, and educators who will be of great use in the field of biostatistics with the aid and collaboration of biomedical investigators. 

Acceptance Rate

7.6

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

Students who are looking for a diverse academic community committed to innovative research, excellent teaching and personal and intellectual growth will consider Northwestern University an excellent school of choice. It ranks 9th in National Universities, 15th in Best value Schools, and 30th in the list of Most Innovative Schools in America. 

With their passion in research and high-level academy, the Department of Biostatistics in Northwestern offers a Master of Science (MS) degree in biostatistics. This journey is a one-year, full time master’s degree program to properly train future biostatisticians that can serve as collaborative people with means to change the future of science and the world. Part-time students may also complete this course in two years. 

Acceptance Rate

9.05

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

A university that supports inclusion of every member of the community as means to achieve excellence in all areas of knowledge it provides, believes in the unshakable potential of every human being, an academy that commits to support equity, diversity, and inclusion, none other than Vanderbilt University. It is a research school that provides academic proficiency and financial aid to its students. 

Bringing biostatistical expertise to the community, Vanderbilt offers its students Biostatistics program. It allows students to participate in innovative statistical methods, collaborative activities and educational resources for biomedical and scientific research, thereby giving them the power to change the world, satisfy curiosity, make money and realize passion. 

Acceptance Rate

9.12

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

Washington University in St. Louis welcomes its students from all diversities who possess intellectual rigor, and the means to hone and exemplify their talents in the school. Ranked 16th in National Universities in the country, the school’s goal is to foster excellence in teaching, scholarship, research and service to enable students to be productive contributors of the global economy. 

As a private research institute, Washington University offers a wide-range of research opportunities to its members. Along with this is their offerings in the Biostatistics program, which aims to perform a strong, internationally recognized, and rigorous curriculum. This program includes collaborative biostatistical consultations, using quantitative methods to innovate public health, biology, and medicine, and provide leadership in formulating local and national public policy on many aspects of public health and medicine. 

Acceptance Rate

13.85

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

Found at the center of the country, Georgetown University offers opportunities to more than 17,000 students from 135 countries in the globe. It holds a holistic approach in its education, serving as the nation’s oldest Jesuit University. It is one of the leading research universities, thus, exhibiting important research projects in the face of an innovative biostatistical methodology, developing treatments and preventions for cancer and other biomedical research areas. 

The Department of Biostatistics in Georgetown University is one of the fields governing the design and statistical analysis of clinical trials for cancer and protocol review and monitoring at Lombardi and the MedStar-Georgetown cancer network. It also offers a degree in Ph. D and M.S. for those student biostatisticians who excel in their integrated training in computational, quantitative, and biomedical sciences, along with their collaborative teaching with world-class researchers in the biomedical field. 

Acceptance Rate

14.36

Student to Faculty Ratio

11:1

Johns Hopkins University (JHU) has an outstanding reputation for being an institution of firsts. It is America’s first research university, the birth of modern medical education, and founded the first research-based school of public health. Its goal is to educate its students to enhance and develop their skills for original research and learning and to be future contributors of the society. 

Excelling in the fields of research, JHU offers a superlative education in the department of Biostatistics. The program uses first-rate teaching and research using statistical data to address public health issues and biomedical concerns. They offer graduate programs in statistical and health sciences such as Master of Health Sciences (MHS), Master of Science (SCM), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D). 

Acceptance Rate

11.17

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

The University of Southern California centers in arts, technology, research, and business around the globe. It is one of the oldest research universities in the west, thus, the Healthcare Sciences department in this school is well known for its contribution to regenerative medicine and sports medicine research. 

The school offers a major in biostatistics designed to equip students with superlative analytical and quantitative skills needed to conduct groundbreaking research in the biomedicine, disease surveillance, and program evaluation. This program consists of courses in data analysis and statistics including informatics, statistical genetics, environmental statistics, artificial intelligence, and molecular epidemiology. Along with its world-class faculty members, the school offers a curriculum that tailors students to become collaborating scientists of biomedical research. 

Acceptance Rate

11.42

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

Touted as the top Public Schools National Universities and ranked 2nd in the top 50 research universities in the country, the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) caters to its students to limitless opportunities with optimism as their key factor to achieve groundbreaking achievements. Their duty as a research university is to create, disseminate, preserve, and apply scientific knowledge to improve society. 

As a public research university, UCLA prides in offering Master of Science, Master of Public Health, and Doctor of Philosophy in Biostatistics. The Department of Biostatistics envisions to craft well-versed biostatisticians that can greatly contribute to responding to scientific problems encountered in public health, biomedicine, and other global health problems. Coupled with its top-notch personnel and collaborative investigators in diverse disciplines, the school hones its students to become significant contributors in the scientific community. 

Acceptance Rate

12.32

Student to Faculty Ratio

18:1

Known as one of the most prestigious state universities in the United States, the University of California, Berkeley contributes to the state’s abundance and glory through its advancing generations. Ranking 22nd in National Universities, UC, Berkeley prides its group of academic pioneers who work together to improve the world. 

As prominent issues arise in health, medical, and biological fields in the community, the Department of Biostatistics at Berkeley takes action by collecting and exploring relevant data through the application of quantitative techniques, analytic methods, and statistical theories in the areas of biological and medical research. Coupled with its cutting-edge resources, facilities and education, the university offers a world-class range of opportunities to satisfy the needs of individual students and areas of the community advancing their innovative outcomes. 

Acceptance Rate

16.25

Student to Faculty Ratio

20:1

The University of Michigan is located in Ann Arbor, ranking first among the top 100 public universities in the United States and third among national universities. It is an ideal place for outstanding and qualified students to create a bright future. It has a selective admission rate of 26% and a high graduation rate of 89.9%. 

Having a direct collaboration with the University of Michigan Medical School, the school utilizes its reputation as the top graduate top rated biostatistics degree program in the US by the National Research Council, working with exceptional professionals in collaborative learning and discoveries and giving its students boundless opportunities for medical and research exposure along with its cutting-edge resources and technology. Its diverse research system involves a wide range of methods, clinical trials, data analysis, and quantitative approaches that guides its students to be well-versed in the real world containing global health issues. 

Acceptance Rate

22.91

Student to Faculty Ratio

11:1

Carnegie Mellon University is a training ground for excellence, innovation, and invention. Since its foundation in the 1900, the University has been consistent in its performance in academic research, and even in its contribution to the world and its community.

The Biostatistics program at Carnegie Mellon University, involves collaborative effort between students and faculty in research projects in different fields like biomedical and behavioral science. With the development of statistics and other fields, it has solved various problems. In addition, the Department of Biostatistics at Carnegie Mellon University maintains an active cooperative relationship with various research laboratory groups.

Acceptance Rate

15.44

Student to Faculty Ratio

10:1

A private research university that commits to create, preserve, teach, and apply knowledge in the service of humanity, also known as Emory University, exemplifies the extraordinary energy of academic excellence in order to make a global difference. It aims to gather the most brilliant and collaborative minds to serve as gateways of groundbreaking research and innovation. 

The Department of Biostatistics at Emory University believes that great opportunity lies in data. They aim to develop leading-edge statistical, probability methods, and computational methods of data analysis and new scientific discoveries in the fields of biomedicine and health sciences. Emory University, in collaboration with Rollins School of Public Health, offers superlative features such as analysis of infectious diseases, analysis of next-generation sequencing, analysis of large-scale epidemiologic studies, analysis of biomedical imaging data, and analysis of clinical trials. 

Acceptance Rate

15.6

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

The University of North Carolina ranks 3rd in the Top 100 Public Universities in the U.S. It recognizes exceptional people with novel ideas and nimble minds, providing them a wide space of belonging and collaboration through innovative programs that enrich learning on an international scale, connecting students to the world through global collaboration. 

Acquiring its title as a public research university, UNC offers innovative research programs in Biostatistics. The department of Biostatistics in this institution prides itself for leading research worldwide. It centers on the development of statistical methodology and application of statistics in applied research and biomedicine and practices the application of quantitative methods, implements analytic methods, and interprets results and data across a range of interdisciplinary approaches. 

Acceptance Rate

22.63

Student to Faculty Ratio

13:1

Boston University has excellence in academics and research on its belt, crafting its diverse members through rigorous and high-level training and teachings. Its motto “learning, virtue, piety” greatly enables them to commit to their mission of educating students to be reflective and resourceful beings equipped to face the interconnecting world. 

The Department of Biostatistics in the institution believes that data lead to answers. Hence, they develop and design research and projects, and new methods and technologies that extract important information to promote health. It offers relevant degree titles such as), Master of Public Health (MPH Master of Science (MS) in Applied Biostatistics through the School of Public Health (SPH), as well as the Master of Science in Biostatistics and its PhD counterpart. Innovations in clinical trials and observational studies, statistical analysis, and Bayesian methods are salient parts of the program addressing the pressing health and medical issues around the globe. 

Acceptance Rate

18.94

Student to Faculty Ratio

10:1

The Tulane University of Louisiana is one of the best and well-respected research institutions in the country. With a faculty designed to cater to diverse students, the school supports its students to become leaders of integrity and guides them to their fullest potential as they achieve academic excellence. 

Tulane offers a wide range of academic opportunities. It offers a vast program in biostatistics, which greatly contributes to its title as a renowned research institution. This program offers training in applied statistical science through their faculty members who value collaboration. They promote encouragement among students to participate in research projects both within and outside the department. 

Acceptance Rate

12.87

Student to Faculty Ratio

8:1

Holding tight to a mission to teach, create, heal, discover, and make the world better, the University of Rochester prides its ideals of equity, leadership, integrity, openness, respect, and accountability that forge their way to the top. Ranked 4th in the best universities in New York and 3rd in the science master’s degree programs, Rochester is one of the world’s leading research universities that breaks boundaries to pursue groundbreaking achievements along with its students, faculty, and staff. 

The School of Medicine and Dentistry contributes to its respectable status as a private research university. It offers master’s and doctoral degrees in biostatistics, which have been catering excellence in methodological and collaborative research in a long record of years. Research and training grants that help cultivate its members to become statistically literate in today's competitive world of science support it. 

Acceptance Rate

29.71

Student to Faculty Ratio

10:1

The founding of the University of California, San Diego was a single teaching goal. UC- San Diego holds the title of the Top 1 public university in the nation for its famous endowment to research and social mobility.

Biostatistics is the use of Statistics as a framework to accumulate, examine and interpret data into the framework of biological science. In this procedure, UC San Diego learners are required to distinguish between changes and differences in correlation and causality to interpret the data. Students and graduates of this course can expect to demonstrate their knowledge in a collaborative, realistic way and use descriptive and theoretical statistics in their work.

Acceptance Rate

31.48

Student to Faculty Ratio

19:1

Currently, the University of Florida is the top university in Florida, ranking extremely high among public schools. The University of Florida educates young people through research to ensure a greater impact on the world. Their collaborative and diverse communities transform ideas and potential into major results, leading to breakthroughs and world-class achievements. 

The Department of Biostatistics in the institution develops, publishes, and applies biostatistical methods for research in the field of health sciences. In addition to this educational program, students may enroll in postgraduate courses such as a doctorate, master of science, and MPH degrees in recognition of their outstanding performance and skills in the field of biostatistics. They also have a great opportunity to conduct independent research and cooperate with the famous researchers of the institute to devise innovations and inventions and provide important discoveries to the scientific community.

Acceptance Rate

36.58

Student to Faculty Ratio

18:1

The University of California located in Davis holds the title as one of the best colleges for biology and biomedical sciences. It ranks fifth among public universities. It holds a mission to serve society as a center of higher learning through the transmission of advanced level teaching and discovering new learnings. 

This research university offers an advanced program in Biostatistics, which initiates the application of quantitative methods to solve prominent issues relating to life sciences and biomedical areas. The program at UC Davis has a defined system to train students in the biostatistical core disciplines and theory. Students will develop innovative skills and knowledge for data analysis. They offer degrees of Master’s and Ph.D. programs, which take two to five years to complete. 

Acceptance Rate

38.87

Student to Faculty Ratio

20:1

The University of Miami ranks top in the list of top best colleges in Florida. Located in Coral Gables, Florida, the university keeps a graduation rate of 81.7%. It is a top private research university containing more than 17,000 students of different diverse backgrounds. 

The UM Department of Biostatistics offers students access to world class faculty of a high-level standard that trains student-researchers and biostatisticians to develop, analyze, and extract relevant data from statistical methods of research, aiming to produce relevant findings and solutions that can benefit the world. They also offer degree programs in Master of Science and PhD in Biostatistics. Their mission is to develop leaders to translate relevant findings into practice to prevent disease and other illnesses in the human population. 

Acceptance Rate

27.13

Student to Faculty Ratio

12:1

Located in Georgia, Georgia State University is an outstanding land research university with a variety of courses and research projects that can provide students with learning opportunities. UGA is known to be among the oldest schools in the nation with years of unfaltering since its foundation in 1785.

The College of Public Health of UGA seeks to advance the public health of the community in Georgia with its world-leading programs and degrees and faculty. The University’s college for public health features four academic areas which aim to train and next generation public health practitioners through its dedicated culture of research and public service. Biostatistics is one of the courses offered, and it is a perfect course for individuals who are looking to expand their careers and understand the matter.

Acceptance Rate

45.3

Student to Faculty Ratio

17:1

What Does a Biostatistician Do?

By blending mathematical concepts with biology, the unique field of biostatistics helps to fill a necessary void. A biostatistician will perform research in a variety of disciplines such as medical, genetics, public health, epidemiology, genomics, biological, pharmacological, neuroscience, and research organizations. Each individual research project is curated for a specific purpose to advance the knowledge in the field and promote wellness for a broad industry.

Top Degrees in Biostatistics

There are a wide variety of biostatistics degrees are available to analyze.  From undergraduate degrees to graduate degrees, students will need to perform deep research to determine which program is best for them.  Both campus and online live classes request attention and effort from enrolled students classes request information as needed.  To help expedite the process, we have provided a summary of each degree track along with communication tools to request public health certifications from accredited colleges and universities.

Biostatistics Bachelor's Degrees

Bachelor degrees in biostatistics are conferred as a Bachelor of Science (BS) at most universities.  A bachelor’s degree will take 4-years of full-time matriculation to complete.  Part-time students will take longer to earn a bachelor’s degree which will be determined by course load and pace.  Bachelor degree programs fuse general education courses with core science curricula to provide students with a well-rounded education.  Liberal arts courses will include variations of the following communications, history, creative writing, philosophy, and psychology.

Core curriculum found in the biological statistics track will fluctuate from college to college with no two programs being identical.  That being said, a set of fundamental principles will be taught by virtually all universities.

Core curricula will include classes such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, organic chemistry, probability, advanced data structures, statistics, structural biochem, algorithmic design, epidemiology, genetics, metabolic biochem, molecular & cellular biology, computational analysis & design, biological databases, molecular sequence analysis, and genomic technologies.

Graduate Certificates in Biostatistics

Graduate certificates are designed to provide key insights into biostatistics with a focus in a defined area of study.  For example, an accredited college or university may offer a graduate certificate in public health informatics, global health, health communication, or health disparities.

Qualified students and experienced professionals utilize graduate certificate programs to upskill, remain competitive, prepare for a career transition, or help move up within their current organization.

Biostatistics Master's Degree

A master degree in biostatistics is an intensive graduate program lasting 2-3 years of full-time matriculation for most students.  You can expect to find the degree conferred as a Master of Science (MS) or a Master in Public Health (MPH) in this field of study.

Core classes will blend computer science with biomedical sciences and computational biology.  The net result of the program will be to prepare students to effectively address complex issues via deep analysis and research.  Students earning a graduate degree in biostatistics will be equipped to step into a wide variety of roles in the work force or continue forward in academia to earn a PhD degree.

Popular career tracks in biostatistics include the following: systems biology, information retrieval, imaging, functional genomics, machine learning, scientific programming, proteomics, mathematical modeling, complex trait genomics, next generation data sequencing, statistical genetics, databases, text mining, data reproducibility, and probabilistic graphical modeling.

Doctorate Degree in Biostatistics

The doctorate degree in biostatistics are conferred as a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), or a Doctor of Philosophy and Medical Doctorate (PhD-MD).  A doctoral degree will take students 3-5 years to complete as a function of the program requirements, student qualifications, and time spent on the dissertation.

PhD degrees are research-intensive programs.  Students learn via lecture, mentoring,  symposium, research campaigns, labs, and seminars.  On the other hand, a PhD-MD track is more of a hands-on degree with emphasis on clinical rotations and working with the public.

In either case, know that doctoral degree programs are created to provide students with access to top-tier professors and help advance the study of biostatistics.  Students extend learning in the field through a combination of policy enhancements, deep research, and various process improvements.

Employment & Biostatistician Jobs

Biostatisticians are highly specialized public health careers. The skills and knowledge they possess are representative in the graduate-level classes and undergraduate courses taken. Students interested in jobs outside biostatistics, have a number of potential paths to research. Resources public health may include online public health programs along with public health research.

Public health professionals and public health mph help shape the industry as we know it today. A sampling of careers outside this degree track include: college professor, statistician, genomics, biomedical engineer, immunologist, nutritional scientist, toxicologist, epidemiologist, virologist, microbiologist, radiobiology, pharmacology, and neuroanatomy.

Biostatistics Careers and Salary Outlook

Overall job growth in biostatistics is forecast to be robust. The niche sector is estimated to grow well above the national median average of six percent. Meanwhile, similar career opportunities in microbiology and biomedical engineering are projected to grow at 8% and 23%, respectively. Similarly, the employment growth for statisticians is forecast to rocket by 33% according to the BLS. s an amazing 23% growth rate is expected during the same period.

The median annual income for a biostatistician is $80,500. The top 10% average $130,090 a year with the bottom ten percent averaging $46,500 a year. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates the industry will grow by 34% which will create some 15,400 job openings over the coming decade.

What Jobs Do Biostatisticians Have?

The bulk of biostatisticians will work in industry, academia, or government agencies.  From an academic standpoint, graduates will work for colleges and universities to perform research or teach students about the principles of biostatistics.  In industry, graduates can work for high tech companies, medical device manufacturers, research organizations, and pharmaceutical corporations.

Government agencies that hire biostatisticians include public health organizations, public policy agencies, and government hospitals.  Each job carries its own unique job description along with a combination of field work, office work, and lab work.

Largest Employers of Biostatisticians
  • Scientific Research Centers
  • Federal Government
  • Management Consultants
  • State Government
  • Insurance Carriers
Top Paying States for Biostatisticians
  1. New Jersey                   $129,320
  2. Delaware                       $112,500
  3. Connecticut                  $109,060
  4. District of Columbia   $104,680
  5. Maine                             $102,940

GPH Resources for Biostatisticians

Students seeking additional information about biostats can research regional and national associations such as the ABA, ISCB, and ASA. These well-respected organizations provide unique career opportunities to members of the biostatistics community along with networking, learning modalities, and membership benefits not found elsewhere.

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