Biology at Bates College

Bates carries the prestige of a 13% acceptance rate and students who averaged 1446 on the SAT, yet its biology graduates earn $30,613 a year out—trailing not just elite Maine competitors like Colby ($43,597) and University of Southern Maine ($43,722), but also the state's public flagship by $3,400. That places this program at the 40th percentile both nationally and within Maine, meaning six in ten biology programs deliver better starting salaries. For a family paying selective private college tuition, that's a tough pill to swallow.

The debt picture offers some consolation: at $12,850, Bates biology graduates carry roughly half the typical load for this major in Maine. That low debt-to-earnings ratio (0.42) means graduates can manage payments even on modest starting salaries. Still, the fundamental question remains whether this trajectory justifies the premium over strong public options like UMaine, where graduates start $3,400 higher and likely paid far less in tuition.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) warrants caution—a few graduates pursuing lab tech positions or gap years before medical school could easily skew these numbers. For families committed to Bates for the liberal arts experience and confident their student will pursue graduate education, this may be a non-issue. But if the plan is to work immediately after graduation, understand you're paying selective college prices for middle-of-the-pack biology career outcomes.