Biology at Olivet Nazarene University

Olivet Nazarene's biology program lands squarely in the middle of the pack—60th percentile both nationally and within Illinois—with first-year earnings of $33,908. That's about $1,000 above the state median for biology graduates, though it trails several public universities in Illinois by $4,000-$10,000. The $26,000 in median debt is typical for the field, resulting in a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.77, meaning graduates owe roughly nine months of their first-year salary.

The challenge here is common to biology bachelor's programs generally: these earnings represent the floor for students heading directly into the workforce, while many biology majors pursue graduate or professional degrees where the real career payoff happens. If your child is pre-med, pre-pharmacy, or planning graduate school, these numbers matter less than the program's success rate at placing students into competitive programs. If they're planning to work immediately after graduation, understand they'll be earning less than peers from the top Illinois public universities.

For a family evaluating this as a four-year investment, the math works—the debt burden isn't excessive and earnings match state norms. But if your child is cost-conscious and considering biology as a terminal degree, the stronger-earning programs at Northern Illinois or Southern Illinois Edwardsville might deliver better return on investment.