U.S. median for this major: $57,996.
College Scorecard field of study; 139 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 38% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $31,642. College Scorecard.
Colorado State University-Fort Collins Biology: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Colorado State University-Fort Collins's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $13,259 | $57,677 | 2.8 years |
| $30–48k | $14,460 | $62,901 | 3.1 years |
| $48–75k | $15,905 | $69,187 | 3.4 years |
| $75–110k | $21,927 | $95,382 | 4.7 years |
| $110k+ | $29,763 | $129,469 | 6.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (47% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Biology graduates 4 years after graduating ($60,981) minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CO (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $20,371 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Biology at Colorado colleges
Every Colorado college we cover that reports Biology graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado College | $62,970 | $20,513 | $33,375 | 88% |
| 2 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | $60,981 | $23,009 | $21,279 | 67% |
| 3 | Colorado State University Pueblo | $58,607 | $25,829 | $10,051 | 40% |
| 4 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | $58,231 | $22,750 | $11,900 | 46% |
| 5 | Metropolitan State University of Denver | $57,920 | $29,587 | $15,327 | 32% |
| 6 | Adams State University | $56,467 | — | $12,980 | 39% |
| 7 | Regis University | $55,356 | $26,000 | $18,397 | 61% |
| 8 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | $54,639 | $23,425 | $15,788 | 47% |
| 9 | University of Denver | $54,513 | $20,849 | $36,131 | 76% |
| 10 | University of Northern Colorado | $53,470 | $24,663 | $17,760 | 51% |
| 11 | Western Colorado University | $50,954 | $23,973 | $16,425 | 51% |
| 12 | Colorado Mesa Universitybachelor's & associate | $45,737 | $27,774 | $15,103 | 41% |
| 13 | Fort Lewis College | $41,694 | $18,761 | $17,296 | 36% |
2 more Colorado colleges offer Biology but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Biology graduates
Biological technician
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Natural Sciences Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +8.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at Colorado State University-Fort Collins, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Colorado State University-Fort Collins
- Acceptance rate: 89% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 67% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $60,543
- Full cost breakdown · all 71 majors · overview
Related majors at Colorado State University-Fort Collins
- Biochemistry$70,343
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology$54,370
- Chemistry$71,615
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$60,835
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$69,269
Colorado State University-Fort Collins Biology questions
How much do Colorado State University-Fort Collins Biology graduates earn?
Biology graduates of Colorado State University-Fort Collins earn a median $60,981 four years after graduating and $32,958 one year after. The U.S. median for Biology graduates across 837 colleges is $57,996.
How much debt do Colorado State University-Fort Collins Biology graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Biology graduates of Colorado State University-Fort Collins is $23,009, about 38% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is Colorado State University-Fort Collins a good school for Biology in Colorado?
On pay, Biology graduates of Colorado State University-Fort Collins earn $60,981 four years out, $5,625 above the median for the same major across 13 Colorado colleges ($55,356) and $2,985 above the U.S. median ($57,996). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Colorado State University-Fort Collins rank for Biology in Colorado?
Of 13 Colorado colleges reporting Biology graduate earnings, Colorado State University-Fort Collins ranks 2nd. The highest is Colorado College at $62,970.
What jobs do Biology graduates get?
A common career is biological technician, with a median wage of $55,700 in the Fort Collins-Loveland, CO area and $57,510 nationally. Others include secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education and natural sciences managers.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Colorado State University-Fort Collins Biology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/colorado-state-university-fort-collins/majors/biology (College Scorecard and BLS data).