Biology at American University

American University's biology program shows graduates earning slightly above both national and regional medians at $33,917, but the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly year to year. While the program ranks at the 60th percentile nationally—modestly above average—it trails Georgetown's biology graduates by about $3,300 annually and sits between GW and Howard among DC schools. For a selective university charging premium tuition, this represents solid but unspectacular outcomes.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $19,866, AU biology graduates carry notably less than both the national median ($25,000) and DC median ($22,341), resulting in a manageable 0.59 debt-to-earnings ratio. That means graduates owe roughly seven months of their first year's salary—reasonable for a field where many students pursue graduate education. However, the high debt percentile (82nd) suggests most programs nationwide keep student borrowing even lower.

Given the limited sample size, treat these figures as a directional indicator rather than a guarantee. If your child is committed to biology and planning for medical school, graduate programs, or research positions where the AU network matters, the moderate debt load makes this workable. But for families paying full freight at a private DC university, those first-year earnings aren't dramatically higher than state school alternatives—something worth weighing carefully against total cost of attendance.