Biology at Dickinson College

The stark reality here is that Dickinson's biology graduates earn $23,097 in their first year—well below both Pennsylvania's median of $35,122 and the national average of $32,316. This places the program in the bottom 10th percentile among Pennsylvania biology programs, trailing far behind competitors like Lehigh ($45,695) and even regional state schools. While the $64,560 earnings at year four show strong recovery, that first-year figure suggests many graduates pursue graduate school or face delayed entry into well-paying positions.

The $19,000 debt load is actually moderate compared to state and national medians, making the initial financial burden manageable despite weak early earnings. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82 reflects that first-year struggle but isn't catastrophic. However, the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly year to year—a few graduates heading to medical school or gap-year programs could drag down the average considerably.

For parents, the key question is whether their child has a clear post-graduation plan. If graduate school is the goal, that low first-year number makes more sense and the moderate debt is reasonable. If your student expects to work immediately after graduation, these earnings lag significantly behind what other Pennsylvania schools deliver, and you'll need to understand why that gap exists before writing the tuition check.