Human Biology at University of California-Irvine

UC Irvine's Human Biology program shows troubling first-year outcomes that demand serious scrutiny. At just $12,187, graduates earn less than half the state median of $28,516 and rank in the bottom 10th percentile among California's seven Human Biology programs. This represents a dramatic underperformance for a selective UC campus—UCLA's graduates in the same field earn nearly three times as much in their first year.

The $20,900 median debt isn't catastrophic by itself, but paired with poverty-level first-year earnings, it creates an unsustainable financial burden. That 1.71 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe nearly double their annual income, making standard loan repayment extremely difficult. While these figures likely reflect many students pursuing graduate or professional school immediately after graduation—common in Human Biology—families should recognize that means several more years of education costs before meaningful earnings begin.

For parents, the critical question is whether your student has a clear path to medical school, PhD programs, or other graduate education where this degree serves as a stepping stone. If so, factor in those additional years of expenses and delayed earnings. If your student is uncertain about graduate plans or hopes to work after the bachelor's degree, this program's outcomes suggest they should seriously consider alternative majors or institutions with stronger employment pipelines for bachelor's-level graduates.