Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology at Princeton University

First-year earnings of $53,038 put Princeton's biology program in exceptional territory—based on actual graduate outcomes, this ranks at the 95th percentile both nationally and among New Jersey's six schools offering this degree. That's roughly $20,000 above what graduates from typical ecology and evolution programs earn, and even outpaces Rutgers-New Brunswick's reported median of $39,491. The debt estimate of $26,000, derived from other Princeton bachelor's programs where data was available, appears manageable at a 0.49 ratio to first-year income.

The caveat here is that both the earnings and debt figures come from different but related sources—the earnings are confirmed outcomes for this specific program, while the debt represents what Princeton undergraduates in other majors typically borrow. For a school with Princeton's financial aid resources (though just 19% of students receive Pell grants), that estimated debt level seems plausible, and the combination would still represent one of the better debt-to-earnings pictures among life sciences programs. The field itself typically leads to graduate school rather than immediate high earnings, which makes these first-year numbers particularly noteworthy.

The clearest takeaway: Princeton's outcomes data for this program suggests something—whether it's the school's academic caliber, alumni network, or the students it attracts—produces substantially better early-career results than peer institutions. For families who can manage the estimated debt burden, this program appears to deliver measurably stronger financial positioning than typical ecology and evolution degrees.