Biological and Physical Sciences at Cornell University

Cornell's interdisciplinary science bachelor's carries an estimated $26,120 in debt—slightly above the national median for this field—but the estimated first-year earnings of $36,362 based on peer programs in New York fall surprisingly below what you'd expect from an Ivy League institution with an 8% admission rate and 1520 average SAT scores.

Similar biological and physical sciences programs across New York State suggest earnings right around this $36,000 mark, which actually puts Cornell's graduates in line with CUNY Hunter College rather than pulling ahead of the pack. The 0.72 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't alarming on its own—it's manageable within the first year of work—but for a family investing in a Cornell education, the question becomes whether this interdisciplinary path justifies the investment when more focused science degrees from the same institution might command higher starting salaries. The broad nature of this major may explain the modest returns; employers often pay premiums for specialized technical skills rather than breadth.

The real uncertainty here is what Cornell's actual outcomes look like, since these estimates draw from other programs. If your child is considering this path, the critical conversation should focus on their specific career trajectory—whether they're headed to graduate school (where Cornell's brand matters more), planning to specialize in a higher-paying subfield, or entering the workforce directly where that $36,000 figure becomes the relevant benchmark.