Biology at Thomas More University

A $23,426 starting salary for a biology degree falls dramatically short—nearly $9,000 below Kentucky's state median and almost $4,000 below even the bottom quarter nationally. While this program carries slightly higher debt than the state average, the real problem is earning power: graduates here start at roughly 60% of what nearby Northern Kentucky University biology grads make. Even within Kentucky's more affordable biology programs, this ranks in just the 40th percentile for outcomes.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly year to year, but the gap is too large to dismiss. Biology graduates often pursue additional schooling or enter lower-paying lab technician roles initially, but starting below $24,000 makes servicing even moderate debt challenging. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.15, graduates face monthly loan payments that will consume a substantial portion of take-home pay.

If your child is set on Thomas More for other reasons—location, fit, specific research opportunities—understand they'll likely need either graduate school or a career pivot to reach typical biology earnings. Otherwise, Kentucky offers multiple alternatives where biology graduates start $5,000-15,000 higher. That difference compounds significantly over time and makes early-career financial independence far more achievable.