Biological and Physical Sciences: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 30.01. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 468 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 | 23 | 1,467 | Data unavailable | $47,525 | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 207 | 23,421 | $33,713 | $50,181 | $9,335 50 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 155 | 2,352 | $39,311 | $58,891 | $24,268 36 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 49 | 546 | $66,330 | $82,371 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 20 | 94 | $67,424 | $99,653 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 13 | 153 | 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.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mission College CA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $52,244 | Data unavailable | $10,241 |
| Massasoit Community College MA · Public · 36 graduates measured | $44,249 | Data unavailable | $9,902 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College IL · Public · 33 graduates measured | $41,667 | $52,454 | $7,750 |
| Richland Community College IL · Public · 18 graduates measured | $40,604 | $44,259 | Data unavailable |
| Triton College IL · Public · 55 graduates measured | $40,008 | $52,421 | $8,375 |
| American River College CA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $39,359 | $43,319 | $10,778 |
| San Diego Mesa College CA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $38,269 | $51,936 | $6,250 |
| Solano Community College CA · Public · 38 graduates measured | $38,138 | $53,777 | Data unavailable |
| Joliet Junior College IL · Public · 25 graduates measured | $38,042 | $60,852 | Data unavailable |
| Los Angeles Harbor College CA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $38,006 | $39,396 | Data unavailable |
| McHenry County College IL · Public · 33 graduates measured | $37,403 | $49,990 | $6,500 |
| Lincoln Land Community College IL · Public · 30 graduates measured | $37,246 | $50,823 | $9,532 |
| Laurel Ridge Community College VA · Public · 44 graduates measured | $36,818 | $53,653 | $9,500 |
| Virginia Peninsula Community College VA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $36,653 | $46,269 | $10,500 |
| J Sargeant Reynolds Community College VA · Public · 30 graduates measured | $36,062 | $49,555 | $6,250 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Edison State University NJ · Public · 38 graduates measured | $81,113 | $90,507 | $13,220 |
| University of Houston-Downtown TX · Public · 25 graduates measured | $50,752 | $56,995 | Data unavailable |
| Washington State University WA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $48,661 | $68,583 | $25,000 |
| Bard College NY · Private, nonprofit · 75 graduates measured | $45,369 | $64,518 | $25,000 |
| CUNY Lehman College NY · Public · 17 graduates measured | $44,746 | Data unavailable | $13,000 |
| University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point WI · Public · 16 graduates measured | $44,170 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Middle Tennessee State University TN · Public · 40 graduates measured | $43,672 | $56,293 | $22,752 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University VA · Public · 86 graduates measured | $42,836 | $61,395 | $24,250 |
| University of Notre Dame IN · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $42,526 | $102,801 | $19,150 |
| Pennsylvania Western University PA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $42,503 | $45,272 | Data unavailable |
| Grand Valley State University MI · Public · 44 graduates measured | $41,809 | $45,090 | $28,500 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College PA · Public · 151 graduates measured | $40,786 | $69,102 | $25,125 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre PA · Public · 151 graduates measured | $40,786 | $69,102 | $25,125 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton PA · Public · 151 graduates measured | $40,786 | $69,102 | $25,125 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona PA · Public · 151 graduates measured | $40,786 | $69,102 | $25,125 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers University-Camden NJ · Public · 90 graduates measured | $99,586 | $125,457 | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 90 graduates measured | $99,586 | $125,457 | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-Newark NJ · Public · 90 graduates measured | $99,586 | $125,457 | Data unavailable |
| Keck Graduate Institute CA · Private, nonprofit · 106 graduates measured | $76,437 | $117,497 | Data unavailable |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins CO · Public · 17 graduates measured | $65,899 | $69,605 | Data unavailable |
| University of Rhode Island RI · Public · 17 graduates measured | $63,854 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs CO · Public · 16 graduates measured | $38,471 | $59,825 | Data unavailable |
| Touro University NY · Private, nonprofit · 40 graduates measured | $31,594 | $57,522 | 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 Biological and Physical Sciences
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Postsecondary teachers, all other | $77,640 | +2.0% | 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 (1)
- 30.0101 Biological and Physical Sciences