Biology at Auburn University at Montgomery

Auburn Montgomery's biology graduates see promising earnings growth—from $31,385 to over $41,000 by year four—but the small sample size means these numbers could shift significantly year to year. Within Alabama, this program ranks in the 60th percentile, putting it roughly in the middle of the pack but still trailing top state performers like Athens State ($36,907) and UAH ($36,775) by a meaningful margin.

The debt picture deserves careful attention. At $31,000, graduates carry about $6,000 more than the state and national medians for biology degrees. That means a debt-to-earnings ratio of nearly 1:1 in the first year—manageable but tight, especially considering biology majors often need graduate school for better career prospects. The strong earnings growth to year four helps ease this burden considerably, but that first year could be financially challenging.

The small sample size is the elephant in the room here. With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a few students landing particularly good or bad jobs could swing these numbers dramatically. For parents of prospective biology students, this program won't break the bank, but it's not offering a clear financial advantage over alternatives. If your student is considering graduate or professional school afterward—as many biology majors do—the slightly higher debt load might compound over time. The accessibility (93% admission rate, 43% Pell recipients) is real, but weigh this against stronger-performing state options if those are accessible too.