Biology at Point Loma Nazarene University

Point Loma Nazarene's biology program lands solidly in the middle of California's offerings—earning $34,943 puts graduates in the 60th percentile statewide and ahead of the national median by about $2,600. The debt load of $25,096 is manageable at roughly 72% of first-year earnings, though it's notably higher than California's median of $20,452 for biology programs. This creates a workable but not exceptional financial picture: graduates earn slightly better than most peers but carry moderately more debt than the typical California biology student.

The real question is whether this premium over programs like Cal State San Marcos (which produces similar earnings at likely lower in-state costs) justifies the private school investment. Point Loma's biology graduates do outperform many public university peers, but they're earning roughly $20,000 less annually than University of San Diego biology grads and $10,000 less than several Cal State campuses. For families committed to a Christian university environment in San Diego, the financials work—the debt isn't crushing and earnings exceed national expectations. However, biology majors planning for graduate school (as many do) might find better value at public alternatives that would leave them with lighter undergraduate debt loads heading into further education.