Biology at La Salle University

La Salle's biology program shows concerning numbers that place it below middle-of-the-road both nationally and within Pennsylvania. First-year graduates earn $30,626—falling below both the national median ($32,316) and the Pennsylvania median ($35,122). Among the 85 Pennsylvania biology programs, La Salle sits at just the 40th percentile, meaning nearly two-thirds of comparable programs produce better initial outcomes. Top programs like Lehigh and Holy Family are yielding 50% higher starting salaries.

The silver lining is robust earnings growth, with graduates seeing a 66% jump by year four to reach $50,924. The debt load of $26,625 is manageable relative to that eventual income. However, that challenging first year—when the debt-to-earnings ratio sits at 0.87—means graduates may struggle with loan payments early in their careers. At 86% admission rate and with one-third of students on Pell grants, La Salle serves a population that may be particularly sensitive to those initial earning constraints.

The caveat here matters: with fewer than 30 recent graduates in the sample, these numbers could shift considerably with different cohorts. Still, for biology specifically, Pennsylvania offers demonstrably stronger options at similar admission selectivity levels. Unless there are compelling institutional reasons to attend La Salle—strong pre-med advising, specific research opportunities, or significant merit aid—families should closely compare this against Pennsylvania's better-performing biology programs before committing.