Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology at Cornell College

Cornell College's biochemistry program graduates start with earnings just above both national and Iowa state medians, placing in the 60th percentile among Iowa programs—a respectable showing for a smaller liberal arts college. At $39,164 first-year earnings, graduates out-earn peers at prestigious Grinnell College and significantly outpace University of Iowa graduates, though they trail Iowa State's $43,520 benchmark.

The debt picture looks particularly strong here. At $27,000, graduates carry notably more than Iowa's typical $20,375, but this still lands in the 5th percentile nationally—meaning 95% of similar programs saddle students with more debt. The 0.69 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe less than 70% of their first-year salary, a manageable starting point that most biochemistry programs struggle to match.

The major caveat: with fewer than 30 graduates in the data, these numbers might not represent the typical experience. A few outliers could skew the picture significantly. Still, for families weighing options within Iowa, Cornell appears to deliver competitive outcomes without the debt burden common to many biochemistry programs. If your student thrives in smaller classroom settings and values the liberal arts approach, this program offers solid fundamentals—just recognize you're working with limited data points.