DOCTORAL DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a doctoral degree in Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 4 college programs with reportable data.

Personal baseline needed

$120,514 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.

$120,514Median year-4 earnings
$22,539Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian 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

$120,514Typical earnings four years after completion
$106,455Average earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
71thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
153Degrees awarded in 2024–25
4College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 4 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences

How much do Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences doctoral degree graduates earn?

The national median is $120,514 four years after completion across reportable doctoral degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

A national median federal-debt figure is not reportable for this degree in the current release.

Does the college matter for Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $84,844 to $123,231 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences?

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.

OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$77,786
Federal debt
$14,280
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$68,042
Federal debt
$20,422
Programs in the comparison
41
35 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$299,873
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →
CURRENT VIEW

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$120,514
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
4
4 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$84,844National median$120,51475th percentile$123,231
4 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$123,23175th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
Not availableMedian 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 Pennsylvania

$139,980 four years after completionPhiladelphia, PA · inspect the full program →
Largest recent graduating class

Northwestern University

49 reported awards in 2024–25Evanston, IL · inspect the full program →
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Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

4 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 4 shown
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WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of Pennsylvania$139,9802University of California, Berkeley$123,2313Northwestern University$117,7974Johns Hopkins University$84,844

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 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 rangeBiological 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 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 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 rangeHealth Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$107,310 median wage221,270 jobs nationwide+17.9% projected growth through 2035 · 24,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$59,270–$322,020 typical wage rangeBiochemists and Biophysicists$127,410 median wage33,830 jobs nationwide+12.3% projected growth through 2035 · 2,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$74,290–$201,110 typical wage rangeMicrobiologists$87,990 median wage18,940 jobs nationwide+6.2% projected growth through 2035 · 1,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$54,670–$150,000 typical wage rangeEpidemiologists$87,220 median wage12,090 jobs nationwide+18.7% projected growth through 2035 · 800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$61,270–$138,800 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 rangeMedical and Clinical Laboratory TechnologistsUnreported jobs nationwide

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.