Biotechnology: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 26.12. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 369 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 | 50 | 557 | $56,608 | $44,955 | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 57 | 138 | $44,861 | $53,595 | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 107 | 1,002 | $49,893 | $67,097 | $19,500 19 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 5 | 0 | $54,526 | $85,295 | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 102 | 2,055 | $86,984 | $107,682 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 14 | 23 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 33 | 94 | $75,009 | $98,951 | 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 Rhode Island RI · Public · 20 graduates measured | $70,802 | Data unavailable | $22,250 |
| University of Delaware DE · Public · 17 graduates measured | $66,353 | Data unavailable | $26,891 |
| California State University-San Marcos CA · Public · 40 graduates measured | $63,252 | $76,622 | $16,500 |
| James Madison University VA · Public · 28 graduates measured | $61,282 | $65,893 | $23,500 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 40 graduates measured | $59,745 | $87,600 | $16,750 |
| Worcester State University MA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $55,387 | $90,565 | $17,256 |
| Utah Valley University UT · Public · 21 graduates measured | $55,301 | $67,603 | Data unavailable |
| University of Houston TX · Public · 73 graduates measured | $51,190 | $78,750 | $16,500 |
| University of California-Davis CA · Public · 50 graduates measured | $50,718 | $87,406 | $14,731 |
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $50,031 | $87,596 | $26,250 |
| California State University-Northridge CA · Public · 40 graduates measured | $49,430 | $73,542 | $16,500 |
| University of Central Florida FL · Public · 16 graduates measured | $48,963 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona CA · Public · 40 graduates measured | $45,923 | $73,152 | $14,013 |
| University of New Hampshire-Main Campus NH · Public · 17 graduates measured | $44,949 | Data unavailable | $26,950 |
| University of New Hampshire at Manchester NH · Public · 17 graduates measured | $44,949 | Data unavailable | $26,950 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern University MA · Private, nonprofit · 46 graduates measured | $116,193 | $125,179 | Data unavailable |
| Northeastern University Professional Programs MA · Private, nonprofit · 46 graduates measured | $116,193 | $125,179 | Data unavailable |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute MA · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $116,069 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Channel Islands CA · Public · 28 graduates measured | $101,383 | $110,845 | Data unavailable |
| University of San Francisco CA · Private, nonprofit · 43 graduates measured | $100,714 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Maryland Global Campus MD · Public · 179 graduates measured | $100,546 | $113,231 | Data unavailable |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public · 28 graduates measured | $97,100 | $117,649 | Data unavailable |
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 411 graduates measured | $96,186 | $123,994 | Data unavailable |
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $95,458 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| California State University-San Marcos CA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $92,122 | $92,859 | Data unavailable |
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $91,880 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Georgetown University DC · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $84,472 | $126,361 | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 29 graduates measured | $82,149 | $83,354 | Data unavailable |
| Azusa Pacific University CA · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $76,262 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus CO · Public · 21 graduates measured | $65,171 | $63,591 | 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 Biotechnology
| 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 |
| Biological science teachers, postsecondary | $84,620 | +7.3% | 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 (1)
- 26.1201 Biotechnology