Biology at Athens State University

Athens State University's biology program produces first-year earnings of $36,907—nearly $7,000 above Alabama's median for biology graduates and $4,600 above the national benchmark. Among Alabama's 26 biology programs, only the University of Alabama in Huntsville performs comparably, suggesting this upper-division university (which only admits juniors and seniors) may benefit from attracting transfer students who are particularly career-focused. The manageable debt load of $21,187 creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57, meaning graduates can theoretically pay off their loans in about seven months of gross earnings.

The caveat here matters: with fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, these numbers could shift significantly year to year. A small cohort where several students land particularly good jobs—or struggle to find work—can swing the averages dramatically. That said, the combination of below-average debt and above-average earnings creates a margin of safety that's reassuring even accounting for statistical noise.

For Alabama families considering biology programs, Athens State competes favorably with flagship options while serving a substantial population of Pell grant recipients (42%). The earnings advantage over most in-state alternatives, paired with reasonable debt, makes this worth serious consideration—just recognize you're looking at a snapshot that may not perfectly predict future outcomes.