Biology at Michigan Technological University

Michigan Tech's biology program shows troublingly low initial earnings that should raise serious concerns, despite the small sample size. One year out, graduates earn just $17,541—placing this in the bottom 10% statewide and the bottom 5% nationally. That's $10,000 below Michigan's median for biology graduates and nearly $15,000 under the national figure. Even among Michigan's 34 biology programs, only a handful perform worse.

The debt load of $21,199 is actually modest compared to other schools, but when your first-year earnings are that low, it creates a debt-to-income ratio of 1.21—meaning graduates owe more than they earn in their first year. The 128% earnings jump to $40,000 by year four suggests many graduates eventually find better positions or complete further training, but that still leaves them earning roughly what biology majors from Madonna or Grand Valley make right out of the gate.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly year to year, but that's actually part of the problem—this program may not have the employer connections or career placement infrastructure that larger programs offer. For a family considering this investment, the question is whether Michigan Tech's engineering reputation extends to its life sciences, and this data suggests it doesn't.