Biology at Concordia University Ann Arbor

That first-year salary of $23,080 is startlingly low—landing in just the 5th percentile nationally for biology graduates and well below Michigan's state median of $27,334. The $26,000 in debt isn't excessive by itself, but borrowing that amount to earn barely above minimum wage means graduates face immediate financial strain. While the program shows dramatic four-year earnings growth to $61,860, this small sample (under 30 graduates) makes it difficult to know whether that trajectory is typical or an outlier driven by a few high earners who pursued professional school or pivoted to different fields.

The Michigan comparison reveals this program's weakness more clearly. Top biology programs in the state—like Madonna University ($46,127) and Grand Valley State University ($40,959)—deliver substantially higher starting earnings with similar debt loads. Even at the 25th percentile within Michigan, Concordia's biology program trails most in-state alternatives by a significant margin.

For parents, the core question is whether your child can weather that difficult first year financially. If graduate school is the plan and family support can cover living expenses during that gap year, the eventual earnings might justify the path. But if your student needs immediate self-sufficiency after graduation, this program's starting salary creates real hardship. Given the modest admission selectivity and the availability of stronger biology programs across Michigan at similar or lower costs, most families would be better served exploring those alternatives first.