5 best Starfield Science skills

Starfield raises the bar for character customization with 82 skills in five skill trees, each offering four ranks. This gives you many options to create your ideal character and gameplay approach. These five skills trees will help you in your galactic experience: Physical, Social, Combat, Science, and Tech. You score a skill point to pump into these trees each time you level up.

Skills come in four tiers. You must work your way up from the lower tiers to access the higher-tier ones. Each skill has four ranks, each offering unique benefits. You begin with Rank 1 automatically, but unlocking higher ranks requires completing skill challenges.

In this article, we will specifically look into the best Science skills in Starfield.

Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer

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Medicine, Outpost Engineering, and other great Starfield Science Skills

1) Research Methods

Research Methods is one of the best Starfield Science skills (Image via Bethesda)

Most players will eventually try out crafting and researching in Starfield. This skill becomes useful when you're dealing with rare resources. Saving these resources, or even avoiding their use entirely in unexpected encounters, can be a game-changer, making Research Methods one of the best Starfield Science skills.

To upgrade, all you need to do is whip up some unique mixes like food, drinks, drugs, and mods. Each rank also boosts efficiency: Rank 1 saves 10%, Rank 2 saves 20%, Rank 3 reduces by 40%, and Rank 4 speeds up research with double breakthrough chances while needing only 60% of resources.

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2) Scanning

Scanning is a useful Starfield Science Skill (Image via Bethesda)

Anyone in a crew can use the ship’s scanner, but it takes a trained operator to navigate and find rare planetary resources and discover details of ships nearby. This is not really the most exciting skill, but it is among the most helpful, making it a top choice for the Starfield Science skill tree.

This skill lets players scan planets and moons for rare resources which is essential for outpost construction. It is also useful for space pirates to identify ship cargo.

As you advance in ranks, you become better at finding rare and unique resources on planets and moons. You also gain more detailed information about ships in space, including combat data and cargo lists in Rank 4.

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3) Medicine

Take the Medicine Skill to navigate and manage difficult combats more easily (Image via Bethesda)

While Starfield's combat isn't too tough, players often rely on healing items more than they'd like. The Medicine skill boosts the effectiveness of these items, increasing the speed and amount of health they restore with each rank. Specifically, it makes these healing items 10% more effective and takes 10% less time, speeding up the healing process.

When you reach Rank 4, the skill gives aid items a chance to cure afflictions, making them more versatile and valuable in more difficult fights.

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4) Planetary Habitation

Planetary Habitation enhances your survivability in extreme temperatures (Image via Bethesda)

This Starfield Science skill grants you the capability to build outposts on planets with extreme temperatures like Deep Freeze and Inferno. It also allows you to expand the maximum outpost capacity by four. This is essential for resource gathering, research, survival, and exploration, making it a crucial component as you progress in the game.

At Rank 1, you can build outposts on extremely hot and cold planets and add 4 more outposts. At Rank 2, you expand to high-pressure planets and increase your limit by 8 outposts. Rank 3 allows you to build on toxic or corrosive planets, raising the limit by 12, and at Rank 4, you can establish outposts on high-gravity planets, adding 16 more to your maximum outpost count.

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5) Outpost Engineering

Outpost Engineering is a Starfield Science Skill for high-end outpost buildings (Image via Bethesda)

Similar to the previous skill, the Outpost Engineering skill enables you to craft high-end outpost modules, perfect for those who intend to invest in their outpost as well. These outposts serve as vital hubs for resource gathering, research, and survival in Starfield's diverse planetary environments. So, it is important to invest in its functionality and efficiency to create a much more rewarding gameplay experience.

At Rank 1, this Starfield Science skill can improve research outpost modules. Rank 2 allows for superior outpost module creation, while Rank 3 enables the development of cutting-edge modules. Upon reaching Rank 4, you'll benefit from a 50% reduction in outpost module construction costs.