Biology at Columbia College

Columbia College's biology program posts surprisingly strong earnings that beat both state and national medians by healthy margins, though the small graduating class means these numbers could shift year to year. Starting at $38K might seem modest, but it's actually $4K above the Missouri median and places graduates in the 84th percentile nationally—competitive with larger state universities in the region.

The debt picture looks reasonable at first glance: $21,325 is below both state and national averages for biology majors. However, the 0.56 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates are borrowing more relative to what similar programs typically require, even if the absolute dollar amount is lower. Strong 26% earnings growth to nearly $48K by year four suggests the degree opens doors, though this still trails the very top Missouri programs by a few thousand dollars.

The small sample size is the critical caveat here. With fewer than 30 graduates in the data, a few students landing excellent jobs—or struggling to find work—can dramatically swing these numbers. For a family confident their student will be among the program's successes, the combination of manageable debt and above-average early earnings makes this a defensible choice, especially given that 44% of students receive Pell grants, suggesting the college serves a range of economic backgrounds. Just understand you're relying on limited data points.