Animal Sciences at North Carolina A & T State University

North Carolina A&T's Animal Sciences graduates start slightly above both the national median ($35,686 vs. $34,073) and the state average ($34,509), ranking in the 60th percentile among North Carolina's three programs. However, something unusual happens after graduation: earnings actually slip to $34,067 by year four—a 4% decline that breaks from the typical career trajectory where professionals gain experience and command higher salaries.

The debt picture provides some reassurance. At $28,043, graduates carry manageable debt that represents just 79% of first-year earnings, well below the concerning 1.0 threshold and ranking in the 5th percentile nationally for burden. For a program serving a predominantly lower-income student body (51% receive Pell grants), this relatively modest debt load matters significantly. Still, the backwards earnings trend demands explanation—whether it reflects career changes, regional job market constraints, or the particular industries these graduates enter.

For families weighing this investment, the fundamentals aren't alarming: starting salaries beat the benchmarks and debt stays reasonable. But the earnings decline suggests graduates may face limited advancement in their initial career paths. Parents should probe deeply into career outcomes during campus visits—specifically, what roles graduates take and whether the program helps students pivot toward higher-growth specializations if needed. This isn't a red flag, but it's a yellow one worth investigating.