Genetics: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 26.08. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 221 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 | 5 | 50 | $44,201 | Data unavailable | $23,494 2 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 30 | 740 | $41,098 | $66,076 | $20,000 12 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 6 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 82 | 496 | $79,599 | $92,660 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 70 | 381 | $80,464 | $102,123 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 0 | $70,089 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 27 | 66 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of New Hampshire-Main Campus NH · Public · 26 graduates measured | $57,059 | $87,608 | $27,000 |
| University of California-Davis CA · Public · 77 graduates measured | $47,413 | $77,411 | $16,250 |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public · 29 graduates measured | $45,068 | $55,319 | $18,562 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 86 graduates measured | $43,621 | $68,402 | $19,500 |
| Iowa State University IA · Public · 23 graduates measured | $42,109 | $55,037 | $26,860 |
| Washington State University WA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $40,232 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Purdue University-Main Campus IN · Public · 23 graduates measured | $39,174 | Data unavailable | $17,987 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 35 graduates measured | $38,666 | $63,767 | $23,250 |
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 57 graduates measured | $37,814 | $55,404 | $20,500 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 39 graduates measured | $37,361 | $83,484 | $19,258 |
| University of Georgia GA · Public · 29 graduates measured | $34,806 | Data unavailable | $21,268 |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 32 graduates measured | $32,806 | $61,751 | $15,175 |
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 Oregon OR · Public · 25 graduates measured | $100,834 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 19 graduates measured | $89,834 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Long Island University NY · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $85,163 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $72,716 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Manchester University IN · Private, nonprofit · 30 graduates measured | $60,102 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Tulane University of Louisiana LA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $27,831 | 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 · 24 graduates measured | $73,972 | 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 Genetics
| 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 |
| Biological technicians | $57,510 | +7.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Biological science teachers, postsecondary | $84,620 | +7.3% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Genetic counselors | $100,040 | +10.4% | Master'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 (8)
- 26.0801 Genetics, General
- 26.0802 Molecular Genetics
- 26.0803 Microbial and Eukaryotic Genetics
- 26.0804 Animal Genetics
- 26.0805 Plant Genetics
- 26.0806 Human/Medical Genetics
- 26.0807 Genome Sciences/Genomics
- 26.0899 Genetics, Other