Life Science: in India, Fees, Colleges, Online, After 10th and 12th, Jobs and Salary 2026

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Ishika Ray

Updated 3+ months ago

Life Science course is a study program that offers the study of different life forms. The candidates during their coursework are exposed to a variety of species of animals and plants. 

The study program of Life Science is fit for candidates who have a keen interest in science and research and are flexible working with a microscope and have good computer skills. A candidate should be open to working for long hours and shall possess basic knowledge of the subject to be a part of this field.

Life Science courses are offered at Graduate, Postgraduate/ Master, and Doctorate/ Ph.D. level provided by selective universities and colleges in India. They are Certificate courses that are offered in online mode. Life Science courses are offered by offline colleges as well as few online websites like Coursera, Udemy, edX, Alison, etc.

Life Science Certificate Courses
  • Candidates in life science are offered the basic scientific study of living organisms like human beings, plants, animals, aquatic organisms, etc. in this course.
Life Science Bachelor Courses
  • This course prepares candidates to focus on the biochemical processes taking place in a variety of aquatic and terrestrial organisms, plants, and animals.
Life Science Master Courses
  • This course is designed scientifically to orient the candidates towards research and development skills.
Life Science Doctorate Courses
  •  The course is an advanced level Master’s degree course and requires a pre-understanding of the workings of the organisms on a more general level.
  • The duration of these courses differs from college to college. It is for 3 years at the graduate level, 2 - 3 years at the postgraduate/ master and doctorate-level respectively.
  • Certificate programs related to the life science courses field can be as short as 3 months and can even run up to 6 months.
  • Students who are interested to pursue their careers in the life science field must have at least passed 10+2 with PCB stream from any recognized board/ university.

After completion of any life science courses, students can get various jobs such as Agronomist, Biochemist, Biomedical Engineer, Biophysicist, Epidemiologist, Food Scientist, Horticulturist, Immunologist, Nutritionist, Pathologist, Researcher, Science Teacher, Laboratory Technician, Immunologist, etc. Currently, the average salary for these roles ranges from INR 2,00,000 - 8,00,000 initially as per the job role.

Life Science Courses: Highlights

Life Sciences incorporate the scientific study of all various life forms i.e. the scientific study of living organs like animals, plants, and human beings. This course involves the study of the various processes of life e.g. the process involved for the change from molecular to cellular life. In this course, the candidates are introduced to rare species of animal and plant life.

The tabulation below is the course details for the life science program:

Course Stream Life Science Courses
Popular Courses
  • Certificate: Certificate in Life Science
  • UG: B.Sc. in Life Science
  • PG: M.Sc. in Life Science
  • Doctorate: Ph.D. in Life Science
Duration
  • Certificate:  3 months to 6 months
  • UG: 3 years
  • PG: 2 years
  • Doctorate: 3 years
Eligibility
  • Certificate: Pass in Class 10+2 with science subjects  from a recognized board
  • UG: Pass in Class 10+2 in Science (PCB) stream with an aggregate of 50% marks from a recognized board/ university
  • PG: B.Sc. in desired discipline with an aggregate of 50% marks from a recognized university
  • Doctorate: Master’s degree in relevant discipline
Average Course Fees
  • Certificate: INR 3,000 – 8,000
  • UG: INR 3,000 – 1,00,000
  • PG: INR 6,000 – 50,000
  • Doctorate: INR 1,000 – 1,50,000
Online courses Available
Types of Online Courses Coursera, Alison, edX, etc. (Both Free and Paid Courses)
Average Salary
  • Certificate: INR 2,00,000 - 3,00,000
  • UG: INR 2,00,000 - 5,00,000
  • PG: INR 3,00,000 - 7,00,000
  • Doctorate: INR 3,00,000 - 8,00,000
Job Profiles Biochemist, Biomedical Engineer, Agronomist, Biophysicist, Epidemiologist, Food Scientist, Horticulturist, Immunologist, Nutritionist, Pathologist, Researcher, Science Teacher, Laboratory Technician, Immunologist, etc.

Until now, we have gone through a few briefs about every kind of life science course. Let’s get started with the details one by one:

Certificate Life Science Courses

Certificate Life Science Courses

Candidates in the certificate life science get to learn the basic scientific study of living organisms like human beings, plants, animals, aquatic organisms, etc. in this course. As mentioned above the course duration ranges from 3 months to 6 months.

  • The certificate program in life science courses helps candidates to be trained in general topics arising on the living organisms.
  • Students who want to pursue this program must have passed the Class 10+2 with a science stream from a recognized board/ university.

Candidates who are starting their career in the field of life science certificate course, their average salary is from INR 2,00,000 - 3,00,000 in the initial years.

Online Life Science Courses Certificate

The tabulation below shows some of the Certificate life science courses that are available in online platforms where students can learn and get trained on:

Course Name Provider Duration Course Fees
Bio-based Products edX 2 – 3 months INR 3,732
Biology Specialization Coursera 5 months Free
DNA Delivery & Protein Synthesis Alison 3 – 4 hours Free

How are Admission in Certificate Life Science Courses Done?

Students can take admission directly in these courses as there are no particular written exams required for the admission.

  • Students need to visit the official website of the respective online portal where they can find the courses to apply.
  • Then students need to enroll for the required course and go ahead with the class schedule.
  • In these certificate programs, both paid and free courses are available.
Bachelor Life Science Courses

Bachelor Life Science Courses

The bachelor courses in life science are all about studying the life of every living being and organism. It consists of major topics such as Plant Biology, Biochemistry, Food Science, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Agricultural Science, Molecular Biology, Botany, Zoology, and Chemistry as it is a multi-disciplinary course. Students from the science (PCB) field can choose this bachelor course.

  • The duration of bachelor life science courses is generally from 3 years.
  • The study program of bachelor life science has practical exercises and classroom learning such as lab experiments, especially in the field of molecular biology.
  • Students who want to pursue this program must have passed the Class 10+2 in science (PCB) stream with a minimum of 50% marks from a recognized university.

Students who have successfully completed this course are eligible to get into the life science industry in various fields. Whoever is starting their career in the field of bachelor life science course, their average salary is from INR 2,00,000 - 5,00,000 in the initial years as per the job role.

Top Undergraduate (UG) Life Science Courses

The tabulation below are some of the major courses in bachelor life science:

Course Name Colleges Offering Average Fees
B.Sc. Life Science Miranda House College, Loyola College, Presidency University INR 3,000 – 1,00,000

How are Admission in Bachelor Life Science Courses Done?

Admissions in bachelor life science courses are done through both entrance exams as well as on a merit basis.

  • Some of the top entrance exams for bachelor life science courses include the GSAT, ICAR AIEEA, JEE Advanced, OUAT Entrance exams.
  • There are also a few colleges that consider direct admission on a merit basis.
  • In these bachelor programs, colleges take admission based on a cutoff of entrance exams and scores in Class 10+2 (if applicable) will be considered in such cases.

Colleges for Bachelor Life Science Courses

Some of the colleges providing Life Science courses are mentioned in the tabulation below:

India Today Ranking College Name Location Avg. Fees
2 Miranda House New Delhi INR 19,800
5 Loyola College Chennai INR 18,000
6 Hansraj College New Delhi INR 24,515
8 Stella Maris College Chennai INR 22,895
17 Ramjas College New Delhi INR 14,610

Click Here: Top Bachelor Life Science Colleges

Master Life Science Courses

Master Life Science Courses

The Master’s program in Life Science consists of the field of Science that has the scientific study of living organisms like human beings, animals, and plants. The duration of PG/Master Home Science courses is 2 years in most of the cases.

  • Students need to study microorganisms and organisms at the physiological and molecular levels.
  • Students who want to pursue this program must have passed the B.Sc. degree with at least 50% marks in relevant discipline from a recognized board/ university.

Students who are starting their career in the field of life science master course, their average salary is from INR 3,00,000 - 7,00,000 in the initial years.

Top Postgraduate (PG) Life Science Courses

The tabulation below are some of the top master life science courses after graduation in India:

Course  Name Colleges Offering Average Fees
M.Sc. in Life Science Ramadevi Women’s University, St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai  INR 6,000 – 50,000

How are Admission in Master Life Science Courses Done?

Admissions in Masters life science courses are done based on the score obtained by a candidate in the relevant discipline of bachelor’s and counseling.

  • Students need to apply on prescribed admission forms for the college and universities they are interested in.
  • Colleges and universities will prepare a merit list for qualified candidates followed by counseling and document verification.

Colleges for Masters Life Science Courses

Some of the colleges providing Life Science courses are mentioned in the tabulation below:

India Today Ranking College Name Location Average Fees
1 Hindu College New Delhi INR 19,710
6 Hansraj College New Delhi INR 16,554
9 Christ University Bangalore INR 90,000
17 Ramjas College New Delhi INR 14,404
37 Ramnarain Ruia Autonomous College Mumbai INR 37,295

See More: Top Masters Life Science Colleges

Doctorate Life Science Courses

Doctorate Life Science Courses

The doctorate in the Life Science course is about the study of organisms at all the possible levels. The students of the Life Science course need to study microorganisms and organisms at the physiological and molecular levels.

  • The duration of Doctorate Life Science courses is 3 years.
  • Doctorate programs of life science include specializations that are Nano-medicine, Nano-biotechnology, Nano-toxicology, Stem cell biology, Environmental Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, and Bioengineering.
  • Students who want to pursue this program must have passed the PG/ Masters in relevant discipline from a recognized board/ university.

For students who are starting their careers in the field of life science doctorate courses, their average salary is from INR 3,00,000 - 8,00,000 in the initial years.

Top PhD Life Science Courses

The tabulation below are some of the top doctorate life science courses after graduation in India:

Course  Name Colleges Offering Average Fees
Ph.D. in Life Science JNU, New Delhi, NIT, Rourkela INR 1,000 – 1,50,000

How are Admission in Doctorate Life Science Courses Done?

Admissions in doctorate life science courses are done through both entrance exams as well as on a merit basis.

  • The entrance exams for doctorate life science courses include the GATE, UGC NET Entrance exams.
  • There are also a few colleges that consider direct admission on a merit basis.
  • In these doctorate programs, colleges take admission based on a cutoff of entrance exams and scores of masters (if applicable) will be considered in such cases.

Colleges for Doctorate Life Science Courses

Some of the colleges providing such courses are mentioned in the tabulation below:

College Name Location Average Fees
Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh INR 9,285
Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi INR 13,090
Gujarat University Ahmedabad INR 14,800
Presidency University Kolkata INR 14,500

See more: Top Doctorate Life Science Colleges

What are the Top Job Options after Life Science Courses?

What are the Top Job Options after Life Science Courses?

After pursuing a degree in Life Science courses there are various career options available for students. Students who want to pursue a higher degree in the respective field can go for research degrees in Life Sciences. After clearing various state and national-level exams one is eligible for the post of lecturer/professor at various government and private colleges. Perhaps students can work in different industries and research laboratories.  

Mentioned below are some of the common and popular job roles after completion of Life Science course, their salary, and the skills they need:

Biochemist

They work up to the molecular level on biochemical processes and bring solutions to the ongoing challenges in the food manufacturing and agriculture industries.

Starting Salary: INR 3,50,000

Required Skills

  • Problem-solving Skills
  • Analytical Skills
  • Laboratory Skills

Pathologist

They work on bodies and body tissues to examine the causes and effects of injury or disease and advise on the exact patient care.

Starting Salary: INR 5,00,000 

Skills Required 

  • Problem-solving Skills
  • Attention to detail

Food Scientist

Their job is to work on the principles and techniques behind the processing of food and manufacturing, to develop and improve the efficiency and safety of food processing.

Starting Salary: INR 6,50,000

Skills Required 

  • Food Knowledge
  • Communication Skills
  • Attention to detail

Agronomist

They are experts in the science of crop production and soil management. They measure and record corn growth and other processes.

Starting Salary: INR 7,00,000

Skills Required 

  • Self-motivated
  • Problem-solving Skills
  • Detail-oriented
Average Salary
What Skills are Required in Life Science Courses?

What Skills are Required in Life Science Courses?

Having knowledge of the life science courses helps to obtain different skill sets that enable the potential to solve real-life problems in a certain time period. For the candidates, it is important to develop a certain skill set that can help them to get recruited by the top-level recruiters.

Mentioned below are some of the skill sets required for life science courses to do well in the field:

Communication

These skills help you improve your professional communication in English for successful business interactions.

Course Provider Rating Duration Fee
Improving Communication Skills Coursera 4.7 5 months Free
Communication Skills Udemy 4.2 5 - 6 hours INR 8,640

Communication Syllabus

Mentioned below are the subjects covered in the communication skills:

Professional English Building portfolio
Speaking style Next level of communication

Communication Job Profiles

  • Managers
  • Biochemist

Problem-Solving

Basically, these skills directly deal with your ability for creativity which is generally a complex skill in any field. It works on divergent thinking, the capability to build many ideas and concepts to solve problems.

Course Provider Rating Duration Fee
Creative Problem-solving Coursera 4.4 13 hours Free
Problem-solving Skills Udemy 4.5 3 hours INR 455

Problem-Solving Syllabus

Mentioned below are the subjects covered in the Problem-solving skills:

Introduction Creativity
Divergent & Convergent Thinking Observation Skills

Problem-Solving Job Profiles

  • Pathologist
  • Professors
  • Food Scientists
Life Science Courses: FAQs

Life Science Courses: FAQs

Ques. Can I pursue life science courses after Class 10th?

Ans. You can pursue certificate courses after Class 12th for higher studies like bachelors and further, you need to complete Class 12th in Science (PCB) stream with a minimum of 50% marks.

Ques. Which online websites are there to learn life science courses and skills?

Ans. There are a few websites available online for life science courses and skills such as Coursera, edX, Alison, Udemy, etc.

Ques. What are the programs available under the life science courses?

Ans. The programs available under life science courses are Certificate, Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate.

Ques. What are the job profiles available for life science qualified candidates?

Ans. Students of the life science program can work as Agronomists, Biochemists, Biomedical Engineers, Biophysicists, Epidemiologists, Food Scientists, Horticulturists, Immunologists, Nutritionists, Pathologist, Researcher, Science Teacher, Laboratory Technician, Immunologist, etc.

Ques. What is the annual average tuition fee charged for the life science courses?

Ans. The annual average tuition fee at the top life science colleges is between INR 3,000 to INR 1,50,000 that depends on the colleges.

Ques. What is the average salary in life science courses?

Ans. The average salary ranges from INR 2,00,000 - 8,00,000 that varies as per the job profile.

Ques. Are there any Entrance Exams to take admission to life science courses?

Ans. Yes, there are few entrance exams for Bachelor’s and doctorate life science programs such as the GSAT, ICAR AIEEA, JEE Advanced, OUAT and GATE, UGC NET entrance exams respectively.

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