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DOCTORAL DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 2601

Biology, General: is this doctoral degree worth it?

National picture across 14 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$108,206 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.

$108,206Median year-4 earnings

$19,788Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$108,206Median reported earnings · year 4

$116,758Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

57thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

14Reporting programs

14With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $55,777
Federal debt: $22,505
Reporting programs: 3

2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $45,194
Federal debt: $10,385
Reporting programs: 53

47 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $57,546
Federal debt: $25,000
Reporting programs: 1,010

864 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $71,655
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 58

58 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $108,206
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 14

14 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings: $74,001
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 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$96,962National median$108,20675th percentile$150,264

14 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Massachusetts Institute of Technology$189,144 2Johns Hopkins University$176,414 3Rutgers University-New Brunswick$157,286 4Rutgers University-Newark$157,286 5University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School$150,264 6University of California, San Diego$129,900 7Purdue University-Main Campus$109,910 8Harvard University$106,501 9Emory University$105,042 10University of Notre Dame$101,099

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

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Biological Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1042 · 2 crosswalk linksBiological TechniciansSOC 19-4021 · 2 crosswalk linksAgricultural TechniciansSOC 19-4012 · 1 crosswalk linksBiological Scientists, All OtherSOC 19-1029 · 1 crosswalk linksFood Science TechniciansSOC 19-4013 · 1 crosswalk linksForensic Science TechniciansSOC 19-4092 · 1 crosswalk linksLife Scientists, All OtherSOC 19-1099 · 1 crosswalk linksMedical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsSOC 19-1042 · 1 crosswalk linksNatural Sciences ManagersSOC 11-9121 · 1 crosswalk linksSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2031 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR BIOLOGY, GENERAL

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyDoctoral Degree	Cambridge, MA	$189,144	Not available	Baseline needed	$20,111
2	Johns Hopkins UniversityDoctoral Degree	Baltimore, MD	$176,414	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,809
3	Rutgers University-New BrunswickDoctoral Degree	New Brunswick, NJ	$157,286	Not available	Baseline needed	$24,406
4	Rutgers University-NewarkDoctoral Degree	Newark, NJ	$157,286	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,703
5	University of Massachusetts Chan Medical SchoolDoctoral Degree	Worcester, MA	$150,264	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
6	University of California, San DiegoDoctoral Degree	La Jolla, CA	$129,900	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,470
7	Purdue University-Main CampusDoctoral Degree	West Lafayette, IN	$109,910	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,600
8	Harvard UniversityDoctoral Degree	Cambridge, MA	$106,501	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,066
9	Emory UniversityDoctoral Degree	Atlanta, GA	$105,042	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,585
10	University of Notre DameDoctoral Degree	Notre Dame, IN	$101,099	Not available	Baseline needed	$26,780
11	University of California, San FranciscoDoctoral Degree	San Francisco, CA	$96,962	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
12	University of Missouri-ColumbiaDoctoral Degree	Columbia, MO	$91,572	Not available	Baseline needed	$20,268
13	Ohio State University-Main CampusDoctoral Degree	Columbus, OH	$75,461	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,339
14	Texas A&M University-College StationDoctoral Degree	College Station, TX	$70,480	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,315

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.