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SAME FIELD · SAME CREDENTIAL · ONE STATE

Biology, General bachelor's degree programs in California

Compare 46 reporting programs using the same federal field and bachelor's degree credential definition. Earnings are observed four years after completion.

46Programs reporting earnings

$62,384Median year-4 earnings

$19,000Median federal debt

45Programs reporting debt

OUTCOME SPREAD

Highest reported earnings in California

Each bar uses the same field, credential, state and earnings year.

1University of the PacificStockton · $21,500 federal debt$83,012 2Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles · $24,625 federal debt$80,317 3University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley · $14,000 federal debt$79,163 4Northeastern University OaklandOakland · $25,000 federal debt$78,327 5Dominican University of CaliforniaSan Rafael · $27,000 federal debt$75,913 6Westmont CollegeSanta Barbara · $23,250 federal debt$75,889 7Notre Dame de Namur UniversityBelmont · $22,375 federal debt$75,059 8San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco · $15,000 federal debt$74,204 9California State University, East BayHayward · $21,500 federal debt$74,010 10California State University, ChicoChico · $18,750 federal debt$71,726

CAREER CONTEXT IN CA

What related occupations pay in California

These are common occupational matches for this field, ranked by the strength of the federal education-to-occupation match.

25-1042Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary

State median wage: $129,150
Middle 50% wage range: $99,550–$177,180
State employment: 3,610
Projected growth: +7.3%
Annual openings: 4,700

10th–90th percentile: $75,280–$250,700

19-4021Biological Technicians

State median wage: $71,440
Middle 50% wage range: $56,200–$93,010
State employment: 9,210
Projected growth: +7.4%
Annual openings: 9,400

10th–90th percentile: $46,700–$121,670

11-9121Natural Sciences Managers

State median wage: $210,230
Middle 50% wage range: $167,630–$304,380
State employment: 14,950
Projected growth: +8.2%
Annual openings: 9,200

10th–90th percentile: $130,730–$330,050

19-1042Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

State median wage: $136,990
Middle 50% wage range: $109,570–$162,020
State employment: 29,830
Projected growth: +12.6%
Annual openings: 10,500

10th–90th percentile: $81,320–$180,060

19-1029Biological Scientists, All Other

State median wage: $113,530
Middle 50% wage range: $86,090–$154,150
State employment: 11,880
Projected growth: +4.7%
Annual openings: 4,300

10th–90th percentile: $69,770–$189,710

19-1099Life Scientists, All Other

State median wage: $102,830
Middle 50% wage range: $79,880–$143,590
State employment: 860
Projected growth: +6.3%
Annual openings: 400

10th–90th percentile: $62,910–$187,550

19-4092Forensic Science Technicians

State median wage: $102,100
Middle 50% wage range: $80,810–$132,810
State employment: 2,800
Projected growth: +13.3%
Annual openings: 2,800

10th–90th percentile: $64,650–$148,090

25-2031Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

State median wage: $101,370
Middle 50% wage range: $79,710–$125,920
State employment: 99,230
Projected growth: -0.2%
Annual openings: 63,500

10th–90th percentile: $64,600–$132,600

Career wages and employment are BLS estimates for everyone working in each occupation in California; they are not earnings or placement rates for graduates of these programs. Wage ranges show the distribution across workers, not an entry-to-experienced career path. Growth and annual openings are national 2025–35 projections. BLS reports openings in thousands; DegreeVerdict displays the corresponding job count. These figures provide labor-market context and are not used in DegreeVerdict payoff or ROI calculations.

ALL REPORTING PROGRAMS

Compare every available outcome

Sorted by observed year-4 earnings. Open a row for its exact college-and-degree profile.

#	College	City	Median year-4 earnings	Median federal debt
1	University of the Pacific	Stockton	$83,012	$21,500
2	Loyola Marymount University	Los Angeles	$80,317	$24,625
3	University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley	$79,163	$14,000
4	Northeastern University Oakland	Oakland	$78,327	$25,000
5	Dominican University of California	San Rafael	$75,913	$27,000
6	Westmont College	Santa Barbara	$75,889	$23,250
7	Notre Dame de Namur University	Belmont	$75,059	$22,375
8	San Francisco State University	San Francisco	$74,204	$15,000
9	California State University, East Bay	Hayward	$74,010	$21,500
10	California State University, Chico	Chico	$71,726	$18,750
11	California State University, San Marcos	San Marcos	$70,789	$24,174
12	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo	$69,854	$22,949
13	University of San Francisco	San Francisco	$69,440	$23,250
14	San Diego State University	San Diego	$68,861	$17,998
15	University of California, Davis	Davis	$68,120	$13,000
16	University of Redlands	Redlands	$66,639	$26,784
17	Point Loma Nazarene University	San Diego	$65,365	$25,096
18	University of California, Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz	$65,036	$20,703
19	California Lutheran University	Thousand Oaks	$64,939	$24,962
20	University of California, Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara	$64,520	$14,586
21	Chapman University	Orange	$64,461	$20,000
22	University of California, San Diego	La Jolla	$64,437	$17,667
23	University of Southern California	Los Angeles	$63,125	$5,500
24	California State University, Channel Islands	Camarillo	$62,384	$19,500
25	University of California, Los Angeles	Los Angeles	$61,804	$16,028
26	California State University, Sacramento	Sacramento	$61,775	$15,019
27	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	Pomona	$61,688	$18,000
28	California State University, Long Beach	Long Beach	$61,492	$13,000
29	Biola University	La Mirada	$60,014	$27,000
30	Occidental College	Los Angeles	$59,985	$26,272
31	University of San Diego	San Diego	$59,950	$25,000
32	University of California, Merced	Merced	$59,249	$18,325
33	California State University, Stanislaus	Turlock	$59,229	$15,101
34	California State University, Northridge	Northridge	$59,100	$15,059
35	University of La Verne	La Verne	$58,897	$26,000
36	California State University, Bakersfield	Bakersfield	$58,885	Not available
37	University of California, Riverside	Riverside	$58,339	$19,000
38	California State University, San Bernardino	San Bernardino	$56,799	$15,283
39	Sonoma State University	Rohnert Park	$56,345	$19,000
40	University of California, Irvine	Irvine	$56,273	$15,767
41	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt	Arcata	$55,707	$20,200
42	California State University, Monterey Bay	Seaside	$55,654	$19,000
43	California State University, Dominguez Hills	Carson	$54,405	$16,043
44	California State University, Los Angeles	Los Angeles	$53,908	$13,000
45	California Baptist University	Riverside	$52,118	$27,000
46	California State University, Fresno	Fresno	$50,728	$15,853

This is an observed-outcomes comparison, not a universal quality ranking. Missing and privacy-suppressed programs are excluded.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

A quick read on Biology, General in California

What do Biology, General bachelor's degree graduates earn in California?

Across 46 reporting programs, the median observed earnings figure is $62,384 four years after completion.

How much federal debt is reported for these programs?

The median is $19,000 among the 45 programs reporting federal debt.

Which California colleges report the highest earnings for this degree?

The table compares the same federal field, credential and earnings year. University of the Pacific has the highest reported figure among the programs shown.