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BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 15 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$213,044 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.

64.3 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−84%Estimated return after 10 years
$48,922Observed 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.

What stays fixed$48,922 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$48,922Typical earnings four years after completion
$58,540Average earnings five years after completion
$25,054Typical federal student debt
18thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
13College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Natural Sciences

How much do Natural Sciences bachelor's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $48,922 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 $25,054. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Natural Sciences?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $38,323 to $56,555 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Natural Sciences?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 4 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
$53,484
Federal debt
$10,599
Programs in the comparison
5
5 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$48,922
Federal debt
$25,054
Programs in the comparison
15
13 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$57,825
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$38,323National median$48,92275th percentile$56,555
13 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$56,55575th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$25,054Median federal debt across programs that report it
3Programs 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

Harvard University

$95,507 four years after completionCambridge, MA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

University of Puerto Rico at Cayey

$5,500 among completer borrowersCayey, PR · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Daemen University

110 reported awards in 2024–25Amherst, NY · 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.

$76,980Observed year-4 earnings$23,655
$9,175Annual college-wide average net price$20,218
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

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

15 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 15 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Harvard University$95,5072Daemen University$76,9803Kansas State University$68,2434Dominican University$56,5555Loyola Marymount University$56,1246California State University, Chico$55,1027Logan University$48,9228University of Puerto Rico at Cayey$42,3139University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras$39,67510Harrisburg University of Science and Technology$38,323

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.

Natural 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 rangePhysical Scientists, All Other$122,570 median wage22,300 jobs nationwide+2.1% projected growth through 2035 · 1,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$67,000–$195,190 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 rangePostsecondary Teachers, All Other$77,640 median wage149,840 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 12,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$44,300–$160,700 typical wage range

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

COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Bachelor's Degree

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

Year-4 earnings
$54,816
Federal debt
$25,687
227 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

International/Globalization Studies

Year-4 earnings
$56,538
Federal debt
$21,966
90 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General

Year-4 earnings
$50,074
Federal debt
$26,000
76 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Nutrition Sciences

Year-4 earnings
$60,728
Federal debt
$24,418
55 reporting programs →

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.