Microbiological Sciences and Immunology at University of California-Riverside

UC Riverside's microbiology program produces first-year earnings of $43,086—solidly above the national median but trailing California's stronger programs by a meaningful margin. While you're paying less debt here ($14,121 versus the state median of $14,904), graduates earn about $3,000 less annually than the California median. Within the state, this lands in the 40th percentile, with programs at Cal Poly SLO, Berkeley, and even Cal State Chico delivering $6,000-$13,000 more in first-year earnings. The national comparison looks better—73rd percentile—largely because microbiology programs elsewhere produce notably lower outcomes.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.33 is reasonable, and UCR serves a significant population of Pell Grant recipients (47%), making the program's accessibility a genuine strength. However, the small sample size here—under 30 graduates—means these numbers could swing considerably year to year. A few graduates landing high-paying jobs or facing unemployment can dramatically shift the median.

For families weighing options, this comes down to priorities: if UCR offers in-state tuition and your student is already admitted to other California programs, compare those specific outcomes carefully. If this is the only UC acceptance or microbiology is uncertain as a career path, the moderate earnings relative to other California options merit consideration—especially since biology-adjacent fields often require graduate school anyway, where your undergraduate institution matters less than your preparation and research experience.