Biology at Colorado State University Pueblo

Colorado State University Pueblo's biology program punches well above its weight class, ranking in the 89th percentile nationally for graduate earnings—a remarkable achievement for an open-admission institution. The first-year median of $38,933 beats the national benchmark by over $6,600 and lands comfortably above Colorado's state median. While it doesn't quite match Metropolitan State Denver's top-tier earnings, it outperforms several more selective Colorado schools and shows healthy 25% earnings growth over four years. The debt load of $25,829 is reasonable, creating a manageable 0.66 debt-to-earnings ratio that graduates can realistically handle.

The program's strong performance is particularly noteworthy given CSU Pueblo's accessibility—this is proof that competitive outcomes don't require elite admissions standards. The moderate sample size suggests these results represent actual program quality rather than a statistical fluke. For students interested in biology who might not gain admission to more selective Colorado schools, this offers a compelling value proposition: solid starting salaries, strong upward trajectory, and manageable debt from an institution designed to serve first-generation and working-class students effectively.