Biology at Rocky Mountain College

Rocky Mountain College's biology graduates earn $27,912 in their first year—about $4,400 below Montana's state median and nearly $5,000 below the national average. Among Montana's nine biology programs, this lands in the 40th percentile, meaning more than half of state schools deliver stronger starting outcomes. The top performer in-state, University of Montana, produces graduates earning 57% more. Even Montana State, a larger public institution, beats this program by $1,500 annually.

The debt picture offers some relief. At $22,663, graduates borrow about $3,000 less than typical Montana biology students, yielding a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.81. That means a year's salary covers the debt with room to spare—not ideal, but workable for someone planning graduate school or willing to climb slowly in their field. The challenge is that biology bachelor's degrees rarely lead to high-paying positions without additional credentials, and starting at $28K makes that graduate school path financially tighter.

For a Montana family, this represents a middle-of-the-road option: lower debt than competitors but also lower earnings potential. If your child is set on Rocky Mountain for campus fit or other programs, biology won't saddle them with impossible debt. But if maximizing biology career prospects matters most, the University of Montana or Montana State offer substantially better launching points for roughly similar debt levels.