Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology at California State University-San Marcos

Cal State San Marcos biology graduates earn $40,875 in their first year—ranking in the 95th percentile nationally and nearly 40% above the typical $29,460 for this degree. That's impressive on paper, but the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means a few high earners could be skewing the picture. Still, even accounting for statistical noise, these graduates are outperforming peers at flagship UC Davis and other CSU campuses that likely have larger program cohorts.

The $23,000 debt load sits right at the national median but runs higher than California's typical $18,834 for this field. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56 remains manageable—graduates earn nearly twice what they owe. For a school serving 44% Pell-eligible students, that's a reasonable outcome. Biology-related degrees often lead to graduate school or specialized training, so these first-year earnings may not tell the full career story.

The limited sample size is the real wildcard here. If your student would be among the first dozen or so graduates in a rebuilding program, they might benefit from closer faculty attention—or they might miss out on the alumni networks and internship pipelines that established programs offer. Ask the department about recent graduate outcomes and whether they can connect you with current students before banking on that 95th percentile number.