Biological and Physical Sciences: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 39 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$82,465 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
14.6 yrsModeled economic break-even
−31%Modeled 10-year ROI
$63,018Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$63,018Median reported earnings · year 4
$65,428Average reported earnings · year 5
$26,000Median federal debt
51thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
39Reporting programs
33With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $50,340
- Federal debt
- $8,639
- Reporting programs
- 86
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $63,018
- Federal debt
- $26,000
- Reporting programs
- 39
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $117,497
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 7
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$56,995National median$63,01875th percentile$69,102
33 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Notre Dame$102,8012Thomas Edison State University$90,5073Empire State University$71,0664Indiana University of Pennsylvania$71,0285Fordham University$70,1016Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College$69,1027Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton$69,1028Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks$69,1029Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg$69,10210Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$69,102Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Natural Sciences ManagersSOC 11-9121 · 1 crosswalk linksPostsecondary Teachers, All OtherSOC 25-1199 · 1 crosswalk linksSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2031 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Notre DameBachelor's Degree | Notre Dame, IN | $102,801 | $19,000 | +101% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Thomas Edison State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Trenton, NJ | $90,507 | $18,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 3 | Empire State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Saratoga Springs, NY | $71,066 | Not available | +15% | Positive payoff |
| 4 | Indiana University of PennsylvaniaBachelor's Degree | Indiana, PA | $71,028 | $26,419 | +5% | Positive payoff |
| 5 | Fordham UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bronx, NY | $70,101 | $24,250 | -30% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend CollegeBachelor's Degree | Erie, PA | $69,102 | $26,000 | -13% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State ScrantonBachelor's Degree | Dunmore, PA | $69,102 | $26,000 | -4% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State BerksBachelor's Degree | Reading, PA | $69,102 | $26,000 | -13% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State HarrisburgBachelor's Degree | Middletown, PA | $69,102 | $26,000 | -12% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | University Park, PA | $69,102 | $26,000 | -23% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State AbingtonBachelor's Degree | Abington, PA | $69,102 | $26,000 | -4% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State YorkBachelor's Degree | York, PA | $69,102 | $26,000 | -6% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | Pennsylvania State University-World CampusBachelor's Degree | University Park, PA | $69,102 | $26,000 | -7% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | Washington State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Pullman, WA | $68,583 | $19,500 | -2% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | Bard CollegeBachelor's Degree | Annandale-On-Hudson, NY | $64,518 | $27,000 | -39% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | CUNY Hunter CollegeBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $63,406 | $10,348 | -4% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Indiana University-KokomoBachelor's Degree | Kokomo, IN | $63,018 | $25,472 | -8% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | University of Pittsburgh-GreensburgBachelor's Degree | Greensburg, PA | $62,698 | $26,000 | -30% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | University of Pittsburgh-JohnstownBachelor's Degree | Johnstown, PA | $62,698 | $26,000 | -30% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusBachelor's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $62,698 | $26,000 | -41% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Virginia Commonwealth UniversityBachelor's Degree | Richmond, VA | $61,395 | $26,975 | -40% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | University of OregonBachelor's Degree | Eugene, OR | $58,319 | $22,917 | -50% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | University of GeorgiaBachelor's Degree | Athens, GA | $58,123 | $20,600 | -44% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | Portland State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Portland, OR | $57,303 | $27,500 | -44% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | University of Houston-DowntownBachelor's Degree | Houston, TX | $56,995 | $25,162 | -46% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Middle Tennessee State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Murfreesboro, TN | $56,293 | $17,750 | -52% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | University of Puget SoundBachelor's Degree | Tacoma, WA | $55,690 | $26,629 | -68% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Whitworth UniversityBachelor's Degree | Spokane, WA | $55,534 | $25,990 | -63% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | University of Alaska AnchorageBachelor's Degree | Anchorage, AK | $51,889 | $17,354 | -71% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | The Evergreen State CollegeBachelor's Degree | Olympia, WA | $48,623 | $22,346 | -87% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Pennsylvania Western UniversityBachelor's Degree | California, PA | $45,272 | Not available | -99% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | Grand Valley State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Allendale, MI | $45,090 | $27,000 | -100% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | New College of FloridaBachelor's Degree | Sarasota, FL | $41,759 | $19,500 | -116% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | Georgetown UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | Not available | $14,750 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $40,815 |
| 35 | The University of MontanaBachelor's Degree | Missoula, MT | Not available | $16,784 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $16,784 |
| 36 | Saint Anselm CollegeBachelor's Degree | Manchester, NH | Not available | $27,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $34,779 |
| 37 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan CampusBachelor's Degree | Teaneck, NJ | Not available | $26,250 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $15,404 |
| 38 | Shawnee State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Portsmouth, OH | Not available | $19,229 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $14,381 |
| 39 | Western Washington UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bellingham, WA | Not available | $19,574 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $21,193 |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.