Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology at Le Moyne College

A $26,000 debt load for a biochemistry degree yielding first-year earnings around $37,000 isn't catastrophic, but it deserves scrutiny given the limited visibility into Le Moyne's specific outcomes. Since the college's actual graduate data isn't published, we're relying on what similar New York programs typically produce—and those figures place this squarely in the middle of the pack. The estimated debt sits above the state median for biochemistry programs, while earnings match it exactly. That 0.71 debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable but leaves little cushion, especially when top-performing programs in New York—Vassar, CUNY City College, Colgate—are pushing graduates past $44,000 in their first year.

The real question is whether Le Moyne's approach to molecular biology creates pathways that justify its private college price tag. At a 75% admission rate and with 30% of students on Pell grants, the college serves a broad population, but families need to understand they're paying for outcomes we can't yet verify. If your child is targeting medical school or graduate programs where the bachelor's degree is just a stepping stone, the debt load is reasonable. If they're planning to work immediately after graduation, that $37,000 starting salary in expensive Syracuse could feel tight while managing loan payments.

Press the admissions office for concrete placement data: where do biochemistry graduates actually land, and what are they earning two or three years out? Without that information, you're betting on potential rather than proven results.