Microbiological Sciences and Immunology: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 26.05. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 408 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 | 3 | 10 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 4 | 3 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 130 | 3,014 | $41,538 | $62,582 | $20,500 55 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 129 | 944 | $65,021 | $84,750 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 128 | 673 | $78,227 | $101,435 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 0 | $58,937 | $67,248 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 11 | 67 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | 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.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public · 32 graduates measured | $54,587 | $64,510 | $16,500 |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst MA · Public · 34 graduates measured | $52,200 | $66,642 | $22,766 |
| University of California-Riverside CA · Public · 42 graduates measured | $52,104 | $72,295 | $17,918 |
| University of Wisconsin-La Crosse WI · Public · 35 graduates measured | $51,417 | $68,454 | $24,625 |
| University of California-Santa Barbara CA · Public · 28 graduates measured | $51,399 | $90,061 | $15,000 |
| California State University-Long Beach CA · Public · 26 graduates measured | $51,280 | $73,988 | Data unavailable |
| North Dakota State University-Main Campus ND · Public · 17 graduates measured | $50,170 | $64,014 | Data unavailable |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 65 graduates measured | $49,372 | $73,944 | $18,514 |
| University of California-Davis CA · Public · 69 graduates measured | $48,169 | $74,343 | $12,000 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 64 graduates measured | $47,629 | $68,397 | $20,500 |
| Weber State University UT · Public · 28 graduates measured | $46,973 | $68,597 | $14,520 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 34 graduates measured | $46,922 | $57,244 | $18,077 |
| Northern Arizona University AZ · Public · 29 graduates measured | $46,498 | $58,491 | $20,250 |
| San Diego State University CA · Public · 30 graduates measured | $46,281 | $81,122 | $18,607 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 30 graduates measured | $45,332 | $66,222 | $18,250 |
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.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst MA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $100,550 | $100,729 | Data unavailable |
| George Mason University VA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $82,758 | $114,727 | Data unavailable |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $75,429 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Drexel University PA · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $73,213 | $98,009 | Data unavailable |
| University of Florida FL · Public · 167 graduates measured | $68,863 | $79,163 | Data unavailable |
| Georgetown University DC · Private, nonprofit · 39 graduates measured | $68,509 | $97,357 | Data unavailable |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 18 graduates measured | $64,832 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins CO · Public · 29 graduates measured | $48,598 | $63,447 | Data unavailable |
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro PR · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $40,541 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Tulane University of Louisiana LA · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $28,539 | 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.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus PA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $59,086 | $68,039 | 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 Microbiological Sciences and Immunology
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical and health services managers | $123,860 | +24.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Natural sciences managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Microbiologists | $87,990 | +6.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Biological scientists, all other | $98,920 | +4.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Epidemiologists | $87,220 | +18.7% | Master's degree |
| Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | $103,410 | +12.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Food science technicians | $52,130 | +4.8% | Associate's degree |
| Biological technicians | $57,510 | +7.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Biological science teachers, postsecondary | $84,620 | +7.3% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | $107,310 | +17.9% | Doctoral or professional 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 (9)
- 26.0502 Microbiology, General
- 26.0503 Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
- 26.0504 Virology
- 26.0505 Parasitology
- 26.0506 Mycology
- 26.0507 Immunology
- 26.0508 Microbiology and Immunology
- 26.0509 Infectious Disease and Global Health
- 26.0599 Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Other