BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Biology, General worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 1,010 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$136,534 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
20.9 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−52%Estimated return after 10 years
$57,546Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$54,545
$8,000Annual price−$86,545
$16,000Annual price−$118,545
$20,000Current college-wide context−$134,545
$24,000Annual price−$150,545
$32,000Annual price−$182,545
$40,000Annual price−$214,545
Outcomes at a glance
$57,546Typical earnings four years after completion
$60,774Average earnings five years after completion
$25,000Typical federal student debt
41thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
203Degrees awarded in 2024–25
864College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 49 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Biology, General
How much do Biology, General bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $57,546 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $25,000. 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 $51,226 to $64,110 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.
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.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $55,777
- Federal debt
- $22,505
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $45,194
- Federal debt
- $10,385
- Programs in the comparison
- 53
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,546
- Federal debt
- $25,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 1,010
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $71,655
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 58
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $108,206
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 14
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $74,001
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
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$51,226National median$57,54675th percentile$64,110
864 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
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
Carlow University
$134,677 four years after completionPittsburgh, PA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtDuke University
$12,500 among completer borrowersDurham, NC · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classAuburn University
302 reported awards in 2024–25Auburn, AL · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$93,200Observed year-4 earnings$78,327
Carlow University$20,786 price · $134,677 earningsProvidence College$48,523 price · $93,757 earningsSeton Hall University$31,446 price · $93,200 earningsCollege of the Holy Cross$38,782 price · $92,914 earningsUniversity of Detroit Mercy$15,232 price · $91,888 earningsYeshiva University$49,965 price · $90,456 earningsOhio Dominican University$20,079 price · $90,431 earningsMarquette University$31,487 price · $88,921 earningsUnion College$34,561 price · $87,208 earningsDartmouth College$29,519 price · $87,026 earningsBucknell University$40,766 price · $85,687 earningsAssumption University$29,498 price · $83,706 earningsBoston College$41,704 price · $83,614 earningsMuhlenberg College$28,905 price · $83,215 earningsDuke University$29,612 price · $83,192 earningsAuburn University$24,323 price · $83,053 earningsUniversity of the Pacific$25,447 price · $83,012 earningsSaint Joseph's University - Philadelphia$29,689 price · $82,769 earningsSaint Joseph's University - Lancaster$42,478 price · $82,769 earningsLafayette College$34,433 price · $82,109 earningsMarist University$41,544 price · $81,936 earningsStonehill College$33,016 price · $81,361 earningsUniversity of Rhode Island$21,440 price · $80,379 earningsLoyola Marymount University$48,381 price · $80,317 earningsNew York Institute of Technology$22,443 price · $80,208 earningsMerrimack College$37,927 price · $79,581 earningsUniversity of California, Berkeley$13,481 price · $79,163 earningsSouthern Methodist University$40,892 price · $78,466 earningsNortheastern University Oakland$25,181 price · $78,327 earningsNortheastern University$30,915 price · $78,327 earnings
$15,232Annual college-wide average net price$48,381
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Carlow University$134,6772Providence College$93,7573Seton Hall University$93,2004College of the Holy Cross$92,9145University of Detroit Mercy$91,8886Yeshiva University$90,4567Ohio Dominican University$90,4318Marquette University$88,9219Union College$87,20810Dartmouth College$87,026Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
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
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →15%
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.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
PA70 programs$66,254 average earningsNY65 programs$63,341 average earningsTX46 programs$54,075 average earningsCA46 programs$64,520 average earningsOH37 programs$58,892 average earningsMA33 programs$67,649 average earningsIL32 programs$57,805 average earningsNC29 programs$55,469 average earningsFL27 programs$51,184 average earningsGA26 programs$52,843 average earningsVA25 programs$57,998 average earningsMO25 programs$54,707 average earnings
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.