Biology at University of Washington-Seattle Campus

UW-Seattle's biology program outperforms 88% of biology programs nationally, yet sits at just the 60th percentile among Washington state schools—a dynamic that reveals both the program's strength and Washington's unusually competitive life sciences landscape. Graduates start at $38,716, well above both the national median ($32,316) and state median ($35,080), while carrying just $14,223 in debt compared to a national median of $25,000. That 0.37 debt-to-earnings ratio is exceptional for biology, a field where graduates often face debt burdens nearly twice their starting salary.

The 38% earnings jump to $53,261 by year four suggests graduates are successfully transitioning into research positions, graduate programs, or technical roles—biology's career trajectory depends heavily on these next steps. That UW-Seattle's biology grads earn identically to those from the Tacoma and Bothell campuses is worth noting; the Seattle flagship doesn't command a premium in this field, though all three UW campuses cluster at the top of the state. The relatively low Pell grant percentage (15%) indicates this isn't primarily serving price-sensitive families, yet the minimal debt load makes it accessible regardless of financial background.

For families concerned about biology's reputation as a financially challenging major, UW-Seattle offers a reassuring counterexample: strong earnings potential without the debt trap that plagues this field at most institutions.