Biology at Louisiana State University-Shreveport

Starting a biology degree with $24,405 in earnings sounds rough, but LSU-Shreveport graduates see one of the strongest income trajectories you'll find—a 72% jump to $42,059 by year four. That puts them well above Louisiana's median for biology programs ($27,164) within just a few years, even if they start slow. However, the very small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift dramatically with just a few data points, so treat them as suggestive rather than definitive.

The debt load of $26,695 is manageable given where earnings land after a few years of career development. While this program ranks only in the 40th percentile among Louisiana biology programs initially, the earnings growth pattern suggests graduates are finding their footing—possibly through medical or research positions that require additional training or certification. That aligns with biology's career path, where many grads need time to complete prerequisites for professional programs or gain specialized lab experience.

For families considering this program, the key question is whether your student can weather those lean first couple years. If they're planning graduate school or need gap years for med school applications anyway, the lower starting salary matters less. The accessible admission and relatively modest debt make this a reasonable stepping stone, but only if you're confident in the long-term career plan and can afford the slow financial start.