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MASTER'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 2601

Biology, General: is this master's degree worth it?

National picture across 58 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$71,655 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$71,655Median year-4 earnings

$20,360Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$71,655Median reported earnings · year 4

$73,454Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

40thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

58Reporting programs

58With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

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

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $55,777
Federal debt: $22,505
Reporting programs: 3

2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $45,194
Federal debt: $10,385
Reporting programs: 53

47 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $57,546
Federal debt: $25,000
Reporting programs: 1,010

864 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $71,655
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 58

58 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $108,206
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 14

14 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings: $74,001
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 2

2 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

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$62,942National median$71,65575th percentile$82,915

58 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Johns Hopkins University$243,863 2San Francisco State University$128,052 3University of Wisconsin-La Crosse$109,836 4Drexel University$100,989 5University of Oregon$98,203 6Quinnipiac University$94,066 7California State University, Fullerton$91,755 8New York University$90,999 9Hood College$90,850 10University of California, San Diego$87,940

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Biological Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1042 · 2 crosswalk linksBiological TechniciansSOC 19-4021 · 2 crosswalk linksAgricultural TechniciansSOC 19-4012 · 1 crosswalk linksBiological Scientists, All OtherSOC 19-1029 · 1 crosswalk linksFood Science TechniciansSOC 19-4013 · 1 crosswalk linksForensic Science TechniciansSOC 19-4092 · 1 crosswalk linksLife Scientists, All OtherSOC 19-1099 · 1 crosswalk linksMedical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsSOC 19-1042 · 1 crosswalk linksNatural Sciences ManagersSOC 11-9121 · 1 crosswalk linksSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2031 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR BIOLOGY, GENERAL

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Johns Hopkins UniversityMaster's Degree	Baltimore, MD	$243,863	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,809
2	San Francisco State UniversityMaster's Degree	San Francisco, CA	$128,052	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,278
3	University of Wisconsin-La CrosseMaster's Degree	La Crosse, WI	$109,836	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,210
4	Drexel UniversityMaster's Degree	Philadelphia, PA	$100,989	Not available	Baseline needed	$38,509
5	University of OregonMaster's Degree	Eugene, OR	$98,203	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,182
6	Quinnipiac UniversityMaster's Degree	Hamden, CT	$94,066	Not available	Baseline needed	$40,675
7	California State University, FullertonMaster's Degree	Fullerton, CA	$91,755	Not available	Baseline needed	$6,555
8	New York UniversityMaster's Degree	New York, NY	$90,999	Not available	Baseline needed	$37,050
9	Hood CollegeMaster's Degree	Frederick, MD	$90,850	Not available	Baseline needed	$20,873
10	University of California, San DiegoMaster's Degree	La Jolla, CA	$87,940	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,470
11	University of ToledoMaster's Degree	Toledo, OH	$86,070	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,249
12	Rutgers University-CamdenMaster's Degree	Camden, NJ	$84,839	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,745
13	Rutgers University-New BrunswickMaster's Degree	New Brunswick, NJ	$84,839	Not available	Baseline needed	$24,406
14	Rutgers University-NewarkMaster's Degree	Newark, NJ	$84,839	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,703
15	Midwestern University-Downers GroveMaster's Degree	Downers Grove, IL	$82,915	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
16	Midwestern University-GlendaleMaster's Degree	Glendale, AZ	$82,915	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
17	University of Nebraska at KearneyMaster's Degree	Kearney, NE	$82,298	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,242
18	Towson UniversityMaster's Degree	Towson, MD	$80,509	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,413
19	California State University, SacramentoMaster's Degree	Sacramento, CA	$79,785	Not available	Baseline needed	$9,338
20	Tufts UniversityMaster's Degree	Medford, MA	$79,163	Not available	Baseline needed	$39,998
21	Colorado State University-Fort CollinsMaster's Degree	Fort Collins, CO	$77,737	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,279
22	Texas A&M University-College StationMaster's Degree	College Station, TX	$74,613	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,315
23	South Dakota State UniversityMaster's Degree	Brookings, SD	$74,289	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,841
24	The University of Texas at San AntonioMaster's Degree	San Antonio, TX	$73,650	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,836
25	Wake Forest UniversityMaster's Degree	Winston-Salem, NC	$73,476	Not available	Baseline needed	$28,719
26	Liberty UniversityMaster's Degree	Lynchburg, VA	$72,854	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,357
27	Stony Brook UniversityMaster's Degree	Stony Brook, NY	$71,973	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,784
28	University of KentuckyMaster's Degree	Lexington, KY	$71,905	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,851
29	University of Saint JosephMaster's Degree	West Hartford, CT	$71,404	Not available	Baseline needed	$27,989
30	University of North Texas Health Science CenterMaster's Degree	Fort Worth, TX	$70,283	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
31	Georgia State UniversityMaster's Degree	Atlanta, GA	$68,763	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,931
32	Washington University in St LouisMaster's Degree	St. Louis, MO	$68,165	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,786
33	Chatham UniversityMaster's Degree	Pittsburgh, PA	$67,992	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,954
34	Roosevelt UniversityMaster's Degree	Chicago, IL	$67,783	Not available	Baseline needed	$20,194
35	East Carolina UniversityMaster's Degree	Greenville, NC	$67,536	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,739
36	Clemson UniversityMaster's Degree	Clemson, SC	$66,752	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,253
37	Arizona State University Campus ImmersionMaster's Degree	Tempe, AZ	$66,425	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,967
38	Arizona State University Digital ImmersionMaster's Degree	Scottsdale, AZ	$66,425	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
39	Ball State UniversityMaster's Degree	Muncie, IN	$65,439	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,940
40	East Texas A&M UniversityMaster's Degree	Commerce, TX	$65,283	Not available	Baseline needed	$11,841
41	Philadelphia College of Osteopathic MedicineMaster's Degree	Philadelphia, PA	$63,681	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
42	Texas State UniversityMaster's Degree	San Marcos, TX	$63,079	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,805
43	Appalachian State UniversityMaster's Degree	Boone, NC	$62,942	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,836
44	University of Northern ColoradoMaster's Degree	Greeley, CO	$62,559	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,760
45	University of the Incarnate WordMaster's Degree	San Antonio, TX	$62,494	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,775
46	The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyMaster's Degree	Edinburg, TX	$61,507	Not available	Baseline needed	$4,831
47	Miami University-OxfordMaster's Degree	Oxford, OH	$61,506	Not available	Baseline needed	$28,384
48	Florida Atlantic UniversityMaster's Degree	Boca Raton, FL	$61,445	Not available	Baseline needed	$8,752
49	Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleMaster's Degree	Edwardsville, IL	$61,011	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,889
50	Duke UniversityMaster's Degree	Durham, NC	$60,753	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,612
51	Mississippi Christian UniversityMaster's Degree	Clinton, MS	$60,416	Not available	Baseline needed	$27,712
52	Kansas City UniversityMaster's Degree	Kansas City, MO	$57,966	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
53	Western Illinois UniversityMaster's Degree	Macomb, IL	$57,753	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,937
54	University of Alabama at BirminghamMaster's Degree	Birmingham, AL	$57,581	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,749
55	Alabama A&M UniversityMaster's Degree	Normal, AL	$54,216	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,621
56	Bowling Green State University-Main CampusMaster's Degree	Bowling Green, OH	$50,914	Not available	Baseline needed	$24,022
57	Geisinger Commonwealth School of MedicineMaster's Degree	Scranton, PA	$50,630	Not available	Baseline needed	$23,384
58	Salus UniversityMaster's Degree	,	$100,989	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available

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.