Biology, General: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 26.01. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 2,733 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 63 | 613 | $33,430 | $52,278 | $19,000 1 programs |
| Associate's degree | 415 | 7,983 | $33,380 | $44,758 | $11,510 25 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 1,451 | 83,041 | $36,562 | $57,214 | $22,993 909 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 10 | 0 | $32,527 | $64,779 | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 502 | 7,760 | $49,007 | $69,830 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 212 | 1,890 | $70,840 | $92,983 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 5 | 1 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 75 | 293 | $32,627 | $66,581 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Adventist University NE · Private, nonprofit · 59 graduates measured | $74,559 | Data unavailable | $30,875 |
| Austin Community College District TX · Public · 26 graduates measured | $46,985 | $54,363 | $23,982 |
| Mission College CA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $46,878 | Data unavailable | $12,000 |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus OH · Public · 23 graduates measured | $43,835 | $45,916 | $17,500 |
| University of Cincinnati-Clermont College OH · Public · 23 graduates measured | $43,835 | $45,916 | $17,500 |
| University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash College OH · Public · 23 graduates measured | $43,835 | $45,916 | $17,500 |
| Bristol Community College MA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $42,009 | Data unavailable | $11,574 |
| San Diego Mesa College CA · Public · 28 graduates measured | $41,015 | $49,919 | $9,000 |
| Mott Community College MI · Public · 16 graduates measured | $37,548 | $49,548 | $8,011 |
| Oklahoma City Community College OK · Public · 19 graduates measured | $36,346 | $37,495 | $11,022 |
| Yuba College CA · Public · 23 graduates measured | $36,220 | Data unavailable | $11,004 |
| San Antonio College TX · Public · 29 graduates measured | $35,103 | $51,424 | Data unavailable |
| Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland Campus NJ · Public · 62 graduates measured | $34,880 | $48,136 | $11,510 |
| Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester Campus NJ · Public · 62 graduates measured | $34,880 | $48,136 | $11,510 |
| Georgia Military College GA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $34,454 | $40,539 | $7,250 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellevue University NE · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $55,523 | $54,821 | Data unavailable |
| Excelsior University NY · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $55,060 | $63,977 | Data unavailable |
| Edgewood University WI · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $54,761 | $69,355 | $27,000 |
| Dominican University of California CA · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $53,182 | $75,913 | $27,000 |
| Roosevelt University IL · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $53,122 | $63,274 | $25,000 |
| Williams College MA · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $52,790 | $65,357 | $8,000 |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 44 graduates measured | $52,481 | $65,948 | $26,000 |
| Colby College ME · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $52,410 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Fitchburg State University MA · Public · 54 graduates measured | $52,241 | $65,991 | $25,000 |
| Saint Joseph's College of Maine ME · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $52,181 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Maine at Augusta ME · Public · 19 graduates measured | $51,790 | $50,244 | Data unavailable |
| Wellesley College MA · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $51,735 | $58,285 | $11,618 |
| Western New England University MA · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $51,011 | $62,871 | $25,953 |
| California State University-East Bay CA · Public · 123 graduates measured | $50,957 | $74,010 | $18,653 |
| Bridgewater State University MA · Public · 103 graduates measured | $50,574 | $60,880 | $25,972 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple University PA · Public · 55 graduates measured | $24,016 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $166,818 | $243,863 | Data unavailable |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public · 16 graduates measured | $82,003 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $81,551 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Hood College MD · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $80,990 | $90,850 | Data unavailable |
| Long Island University NY · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $72,696 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 263 graduates measured | $69,245 | $90,999 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Sacramento CA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $67,978 | $79,785 | Data unavailable |
| San Francisco State University CA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $67,972 | $128,052 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Northridge CA · Public · 25 graduates measured | $66,642 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Northern Arizona University AZ · Public · 19 graduates measured | $62,087 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Washington University in St Louis MO · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $61,732 | $68,165 | Data unavailable |
| Thomas Jefferson University PA · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $61,264 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Clemson University SC · Public · 73 graduates measured | $61,163 | $66,752 | Data unavailable |
| East Texas A&M University TX · Public · 34 graduates measured | $59,874 | $65,283 | Data unavailable |
| University of Nebraska at Kearney NE · Public · 95 graduates measured | $59,611 | $82,298 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $168,556 | $176,414 | Data unavailable |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NY · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $130,805 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School MA · Public · 44 graduates measured | $110,793 | $150,264 | Data unavailable |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology MA · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $102,599 | $189,144 | Data unavailable |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 21 graduates measured | $100,241 | $70,480 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-San Francisco CA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $98,905 | $96,962 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-San Diego CA · Public · 59 graduates measured | $83,461 | $129,900 | Data unavailable |
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $82,806 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Emory University GA · Private, nonprofit · 47 graduates measured | $79,788 | $105,042 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $78,257 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Temple University PA · Public · 27 graduates measured | $76,070 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 20 graduates measured | $72,416 | $75,461 | Data unavailable |
| University of Connecticut CT · Public · 20 graduates measured | $71,864 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus CT · Public · 20 graduates measured | $71,864 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Connecticut-Avery Point CT · Public · 20 graduates measured | $71,864 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Mason University VA · Public · 31 graduates measured | $42,336 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Virginia Commonwealth University VA · Public · 43 graduates measured | $21,932 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Biology, General
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Biological scientists, all other | $98,920 | +4.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | $103,410 | +12.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Life scientists, all other | $93,750 | +6.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Agricultural technicians | $49,630 | +5.4% | Associate's degree |
| Food science technicians | $52,130 | +4.8% | Associate's degree |
| Biological technicians | $57,510 | +7.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Forensic science technicians | $72,060 | +13.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Biological science teachers, postsecondary | $84,620 | +7.3% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | $72,040 | -0.2% | Bachelor's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (2)
- 26.0101 Biology/Biological Sciences, General
- 26.0102 Biomedical Sciences, General