Microbiological Sciences and Immunology at North Carolina State University at Raleigh

NC State's microbiology program sits in an unusual spot: it outperforms three-quarters of similar programs nationally while landing right at the median for North Carolina. Before getting too excited about that national ranking, though, note that only two NC schools offer this degree, and the sample size here is under 30 graduates—small enough that a few exceptional (or struggling) students could skew the picture significantly.

The debt load of $24,486 is manageable relative to first-year earnings of $43,761, creating a 0.56 debt-to-earnings ratio that's actually better than most science programs. Graduates earn about $6,000 more than the national median for this field, which translates to meaningful breathing room when loan payments start. The relatively low debt (22nd percentile nationally) deserves credit too—NC State keeps borrowing in check even for a lab-intensive program.

The practical concern is the limited sample: with so few data points, it's hard to know if these outcomes are typical or if you're seeing outliers. That said, the fundamentals look sound. If your child is genuinely interested in immunology or microbiology research, this delivers solid earnings without crushing debt. Just understand you're making this decision with less statistical certainty than you'd have for a program with hundreds of graduates tracked over time.