Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 41 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$21,660 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.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
10.9 yrsModeled economic break-even
−9%Modeled 10-year ROI
$68,042Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$68,042Median reported earnings · year 4
$72,634Average reported earnings · year 5
$20,422Median federal debt
59thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
41Reporting programs
35With year-4 earnings
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
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $77,786
- Federal debt
- $14,280
- Reporting programs
- 1
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $68,042
- Federal debt
- $20,422
- Reporting programs
- 41
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $299,873
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $120,514
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 4
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$63,043National median$68,04275th percentile$73,120
35 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Harvard University$117,8162Yale University$92,6463California State University, San Marcos$80,3034University of Rhode Island$77,6815CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice$77,1446San Francisco State University$74,4827University of Connecticut$73,1208University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus$73,1209University of Connecticut-Avery Point$73,12010University of Connecticut-Stamford$73,120Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Biological Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1042 · 6 crosswalk linksBiological Scientists, All OtherSOC 19-1029 · 6 crosswalk linksMedical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsSOC 19-1042 · 5 crosswalk linksNatural Sciences ManagersSOC 11-9121 · 4 crosswalk linksHealth Specialties Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1071 · 3 crosswalk linksBiochemists and BiophysicistsSOC 19-1021 · 1 crosswalk linksBiological TechniciansSOC 19-4021 · 1 crosswalk linksEpidemiologistsSOC 19-1041 · 1 crosswalk linksMedical and Clinical Laboratory TechnologistsSOC 29-2011 · 1 crosswalk linksMicrobiologistsSOC 19-1022 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cambridge, MA | $117,816 | Not available | +184% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Yale UniversityBachelor's Degree | New Haven, CT | $92,646 | $19,500 | +73% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | California State University, San MarcosBachelor's Degree | San Marcos, CA | $80,303 | $19,375 | +60% | Positive payoff |
| 4 | University of Rhode IslandBachelor's Degree | Kingston, RI | $77,681 | $25,000 | +23% | Positive payoff |
| 5 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal JusticeBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $77,144 | Not available | +67% | Positive payoff |
| 6 | San Francisco State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $74,482 | $19,000 | +29% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | University of ConnecticutBachelor's Degree | Storrs, CT | $73,120 | $24,500 | +0% | Positive payoff |
| 8 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusBachelor's Degree | Waterbury, CT | $73,120 | $24,500 | +26% | Positive payoff |
| 9 | University of Connecticut-Avery PointBachelor's Degree | Groton, CT | $73,120 | $24,500 | +20% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | University of Connecticut-StamfordBachelor's Degree | Stamford, CT | $73,120 | $24,500 | +14% | Positive payoff |
| 11 | University of Connecticut-Hartford CampusBachelor's Degree | Hartford, CT | $73,120 | $24,500 | +14% | Positive payoff |
| 12 | University of California, Los AngelesBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $72,443 | $15,848 | +19% | Positive payoff |
| 13 | California State University, FullertonBachelor's Degree | Fullerton, CA | $71,185 | $14,516 | +27% | Positive payoff |
| 14 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignBachelor's Degree | Champaign, IL | $70,213 | $22,000 | +6% | Positive payoff |
| 15 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickBachelor's Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | $70,021 | $24,000 | -10% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | University of California, Santa CruzBachelor's Degree | Santa Cruz, CA | $69,849 | $19,000 | -1% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | University of Colorado BoulderBachelor's Degree | Boulder, CO | $68,579 | $17,889 | -16% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | University of Michigan-Ann ArborBachelor's Degree | Ann Arbor, MI | $68,042 | $20,422 | -1% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusBachelor's Degree | Seattle, WA | $67,234 | $14,781 | -6% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | University of California, BerkeleyBachelor's Degree | Berkeley, CA | $66,577 | $14,000 | -8% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Montana State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bozeman, MT | $66,498 | $23,625 | -20% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | University of California, RiversideBachelor's Degree | Riverside, CA | $65,813 | $17,861 | -12% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Illinois State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Normal, IL | $65,669 | $22,500 | -20% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | Missouri State University-SpringfieldBachelor's Degree | Springfield, MO | $65,636 | $24,251 | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesBachelor's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $65,497 | $23,188 | -17% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | University of Minnesota-DuluthBachelor's Degree | Duluth, MN | $65,275 | $25,304 | -20% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Grand Valley State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Allendale, MI | $63,043 | Not available | -26% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Western Washington UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bellingham, WA | $58,622 | $19,500 | -49% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Binghamton UniversityBachelor's Degree | Vestal, NY | $58,342 | $16,750 | -50% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | University of ArizonaBachelor's Degree | Tucson, AZ | $57,458 | $17,750 | -50% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Johns Hopkins UniversityBachelor's Degree | Baltimore, MD | $56,543 | $10,750 | -55% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | California State University, NorthridgeBachelor's Degree | Northridge, CA | $55,096 | $21,040 | -51% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | University of Mary Hardin-BaylorBachelor's Degree | Belton, TX | $53,746 | $28,000 | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | Parker UniversityBachelor's Degree | Dallas, TX | $52,681 | Not available | -74% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | Northeastern State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Tahlequah, OK | $50,981 | $21,000 | -74% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | University of California, DavisBachelor's Degree | Davis, CA | Not available | $12,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $14,741 |
| 37 | University of California, Santa BarbaraBachelor's Degree | Santa Barbara, CA | Not available | $19,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $16,109 |
| 38 | Tulane University of LouisianaBachelor's Degree | New Orleans, LA | Not available | $15,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $39,949 |
| 39 | Northeastern UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | Not available | $22,156 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $30,915 |
| 40 | Duke UniversityBachelor's Degree | Durham, NC | Not available | $12,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $29,612 |
| 41 | Augusta UniversityBachelor's Degree | Augusta, GA | Not available | $24,229 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $13,787 |
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.