Biology at North Park University

North Park University's biology program produces graduates who earn slightly above both national and state medians, placing in the 60th percentile among Illinois biology programs. While the $33,592 first-year salary won't turn heads—it's about $10,000 less than top Illinois programs like Governors State or Northeastern Illinois—it represents solid middle-of-the-pack performance for a biology bachelor's degree.

The real strength here is the debt picture. At $27,000, graduates carry roughly average debt but face a manageable 0.80 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning they owe less than a year's salary. That's significantly better than many biology programs nationwide. The 17% earnings bump to $39,285 by year four suggests graduates are finding their footing in healthcare, research, or graduate school paths. For context, nearly half of North Park students receive Pell grants, indicating the program serves many first-generation and lower-income students who successfully launch science careers.

This isn't the program for students aiming to maximize immediate post-graduation income—those families should look at the top-performing state schools. But for students considering North Park for other reasons (location in Chicago, smaller class sizes, campus culture), the biology program won't derail their financial future. The debt burden is reasonable and the earnings trajectory points upward, which matters more for biology majors who often need graduate degrees to reach higher earning potential anyway.