ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Zoology/Animal Biology worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 1 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$211,156 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−196%Estimated return after 10 years
$34,635Observed 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−$193,650
$8,000Current college-wide context−$209,650
$9,000Current college-wide context−$211,650
$16,000Annual price−$225,650
$24,000Annual price−$241,650
$32,000Annual price−$257,650
$40,000Annual price−$273,650
Outcomes at a glance
$34,635Typical earnings four years after completion
Not availableAverage earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
8thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
1College 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.
Four useful answers about Zoology/Animal Biology
How much do Zoology/Animal Biology associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $34,635 four years after completion across reportable associate's 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 Zoology/Animal Biology?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $34,635 to $34,635 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Zoology/Animal Biology?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 5 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.
CURRENT VIEW
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $34,635
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $44,201
- Federal debt
- $24,393
- Programs in the comparison
- 54
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $73,457
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $87,716
- 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$34,635National median$34,63575th percentile$34,635
1 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.
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
1 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 1 shown
Search every reporting program →See the spread, not just the national number.
1Davidson-Davie Community College$34,635Observed 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 →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists$76,780 median wage18,120 jobs nationwide+3.6% projected growth through 2035 · 1,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$49,100–$126,440 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 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 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 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 range
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.