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UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in Biology, General worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 3 college programs with reportable data.

Personal baseline needed

$55,777 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$55,777Median year-4 earnings
$15,927Average institution net-price context
$22,505Median federal debt
Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$55,777Typical earnings four years after completion
Not availableAverage earnings five years after completion
$22,505Typical federal student debt
59thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
162Degrees awarded in 2024–25
2College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 3 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Biology, General

How much do Biology, General undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?

The national median is $55,777 four years after completion across reportable undergraduate certificate or diploma programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $22,505. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Biology, General?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $49,098 to $49,098 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Biology, General?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 10 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.

Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.

CURRENT VIEW

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$55,777
Federal debt
$22,505
Programs in the comparison
3
2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$45,194
Federal debt
$10,385
Programs in the comparison
53
47 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$57,546
Federal debt
$25,000
Programs in the comparison
1,010
864 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$71,655
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
58
58 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$108,206
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
14
14 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings
$74,001
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
2
2 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$49,098National median$55,77775th percentile$49,098
2 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$49,09875th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$22,505Median federal debt across programs that report it
0Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

$62,456 four years after completionStevens Point, WI · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Davidson College

77 reported awards in 2024–25Davidson, NC · inspect the full program →
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Choose colleges offering this exact degree

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3 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 3 shown
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WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point$62,4562Cabrillo College$49,0983Davidson CollegeNot available

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary$84,620 median wage50,190 jobs nationwide+7.3% projected growth through 2035 · 4,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$52,150–$169,900 typical wage rangeBiological Technicians$57,510 median wage69,620 jobs nationwide+7.4% projected growth through 2035 · 9,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$40,330–$84,940 typical wage rangeNatural Sciences Managers$167,220 median wage108,690 jobs nationwide+8.2% projected growth through 2035 · 9,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$79,710–$316,850 typical wage rangeMedical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$103,410 median wage172,340 jobs nationwide+12.6% projected growth through 2035 · 10,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$64,800–$177,780 typical wage rangeBiological Scientists, All Other$98,920 median wage55,850 jobs nationwide+4.7% projected growth through 2035 · 4,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$60,430–$168,010 typical wage rangeLife Scientists, All Other$93,750 median wage7,460 jobs nationwide+6.3% projected growth through 2035 · 400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$58,670–$186,260 typical wage rangeForensic Science Technicians$72,060 median wage19,120 jobs nationwide+13.3% projected growth through 2035 · 2,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,250–$117,250 typical wage rangeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040 median wage1,065,210 jobs nationwide-0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 63,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,780–$107,600 typical wage rangeFood Science Technicians$52,130 median wage14,600 jobs nationwide+4.8% projected growth through 2035 · 3,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$39,820–$78,820 typical wage rangeAgricultural Technicians$49,630 median wage15,130 jobs nationwide+5.4% projected growth through 2035 · 2,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$35,980–$76,480 typical wage range

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.