Biology at Dillard University

A $24,000 starting salary against $31,000 in debt creates real repayment challenges for Dillard biology graduates. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.31 means these graduates carry more than a year's income in loans—significantly above both the national debt benchmark ($25,000) and Louisiana's state median ($22,708). When over two-thirds of students receive Pell grants, this debt burden falls disproportionately on families with the least financial cushion.

The earnings picture offers little immediate relief. While Dillard ranks at the 40th percentile among Louisiana biology programs—essentially middle-of-the-pack in-state—that still translates to nearly $7,000 less than the state median and roughly $9,000 below what graduates earn at Southern University or UNO. That gap represents meaningful differences in monthly budgets and loan repayment timelines for recent graduates.

However, treat these numbers carefully: the sample size is small, meaning a few outliers could skew the data significantly. For families considering this program, the path forward requires honest conversation about career plans. Will your student pursue graduate school where this bachelor's degree serves as a stepping stone? Or do they need immediate earning power? If the answer is the latter, the combination of below-average earnings and above-average debt makes this a high-risk investment compared to other Louisiana biology programs.