Biology at Excelsior University

Excelsior University's online biology program delivers something rare: above-average first-year earnings at exactly average debt levels. At $38,071, graduates earn nearly $6,000 more than the national biology median and rank in the 85th percentile nationally. That's a meaningful head start, especially given the $25,000 debt load matches typical borrowing for this degree. The 0.66 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests manageable repayment—graduates would dedicate about two-thirds of their first-year salary to debt, well within reasonable bounds.

The New York context tempers the picture slightly. While these earnings beat the state median by over $5,000, Excelsior sits at the 60th percentile among New York biology programs—solid but not exceptional in a state with several elite options. Still, comparing Excelsior to Barnard or Columbia misses the point: this is an accessible, distance-learning program competing with a very different value proposition than residential schools.

For families seeking a biology degree without relocating or paying premium tuition, this program delivers better-than-typical outcomes. The earnings advantage over peer programs suggests Excelsior graduates are securing decent entry-level positions, though whether that reflects the program itself or the students' work experience is harder to parse. It's a straightforward value: reasonable debt for above-average biology earnings.