Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology at Southern Virginia University

A biochemistry degree with $25,500 in debt might sound manageable until you see what similar programs in Virginia actually deliver in first-year earnings: around $34,800. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.73 sits in reasonable territory, but the earnings figure itself lags the national median of $38,000 for this field. When Virginia Tech graduates from the same major start at nearly $36,000 and even Old Dominion's program shows $25,800, you're looking at middling outcomes for a competitive science degree.

The real concern is trajectory. Biochemistry graduates typically need graduate school or specialized certifications to reach higher-earning positions in research or industry, which means more debt stacked on top of what's already borrowed. Based on peer programs, that first-year salary would leave your child with about three-quarters of their annual earnings in debt—tight but not catastrophic if they can move quickly into better-paying roles or advanced training.

This program appears small enough that the Department of Education can't publish actual outcomes, which means limited data on where graduates actually land. For a science degree where lab experience, research opportunities, and graduate school placement matter enormously, you'd want concrete evidence that this particular program delivers those pathways. Without it, you're betting on estimates that suggest merely average results at best.