Biology at Trine University

Trine's biology program falls into an uncomfortable middle ground for Indiana families. While $39,067 first-year earnings sounds respectable—and does rank in the 90th percentile nationally—it sits right at the state median and trails considerably behind what graduates earn at Indiana State ($43,656) or Purdue ($40,145). For a program that costs about as much in debt as the state average, that gap matters.

The debt load of $23,250 is actually slightly better than both state and national medians, creating a manageable 0.60 debt-to-earnings ratio. That's the program's clearest advantage: graduates aren't overleveraged. However, with fewer than 30 recent graduates in the dataset, these numbers could shift significantly year to year. A few high earners or a few students who struggle to find lab positions can swing the median substantially.

The real question is opportunity cost. If your child can get into Purdue or Indiana State—both accessible public options—they'd likely start their career earning $1,000-$4,500 more annually while paying similar debt. For families committed to Trine's smaller campus environment or engineering-focused culture, this biology program won't burden graduates with debt. But purely on biology outcomes, stronger options exist within Indiana at comparable cost.