Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology at Marquette University

A $25,500 debt load would typically be manageable for a biochemistry graduate, but the first-year earnings picture based on comparable Wisconsin programs—around $44,000—reveals a tighter margin than many families expect from a science degree. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58 sits in workable territory, though it means your graduate would likely be allocating a meaningful chunk of early paychecks to loan payments while establishing themselves in the field.

What makes this program harder to evaluate is that both the earnings and debt figures come from peer institutions rather than Marquette's own graduates in this major. The $44,000 estimate aligns with what UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee report for their biochemistry programs, placing Marquette in the same general zone as these flagship state schools—but at private tuition rates that could push that $25,500 debt estimate higher depending on your family's financial aid package. The relatively low Pell Grant enrollment (19%) suggests financial aid may be less robust than at institutions serving more economically diverse populations.

For a field where many graduates continue to graduate school or professional programs, that first-year number matters less than it might in other majors. But if your student plans to enter the workforce immediately after their bachelor's, the estimated earnings suggest they'd be starting in the lower half of science career trajectories. Get Marquette's actual four-year cost estimate for your family and compare it carefully to what Wisconsin's public universities would charge for comparable outcomes.