San Diego State University Biology: Salary, Debt & Careers

Earnings, 4 years after graduating

$68,861

U.S. median for this major: $57,996.

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after

$33,597

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation

$17,998

About 26% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays

$15,364 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $27,780. College Scorecard.

Biology at California colleges

Every California college we cover that reports Biology graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

Rank	College	Earnings, 4 yrs	Median debt	Avg. net price	Graduation
1	University of the Pacific	$83,012	$21,500	$25,447	69%
2	Loyola Marymount University	$80,317	$24,625	$48,381	79%
3	University of California-Berkeley	$79,163	$14,000	$13,481	93%
4	Northeastern University Oakland	$78,327	$25,000	$25,181	—
5	Dominican University of California	$75,913	$27,000	$35,333	78%
6	Westmont College	$75,889	$23,250	$29,053	70%
7	San Francisco State University	$74,204	$15,000	$12,278	50%
8	California State University-East Bay	$74,010	$21,500	$9,320	48%
9	California State University-Chico	$71,726	$18,750	$14,480	63%
10	California State University-San Marcos	$70,789	$24,174	$10,229	55%
11	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	$69,854	$22,949	$16,665	86%
12	University of San Francisco	$69,440	$23,250	$41,431	70%
13	San Diego State University	$68,861	$17,998	$15,364	76%
14	University of California-Davis	$68,120	$13,000	$14,741	86%
15	University of Redlands	$66,639	$26,784	$30,031	67%
16	Point Loma Nazarene University	$65,365	$25,096	$38,729	77%
17	University of California-Santa Cruz	$65,036	$20,703	$17,890	75%
18	California Lutheran University	$64,939	$24,962	$30,109	70%
19	University of California-Santa Barbara	$64,520	$14,586	$16,109	83%
20	Chapman University	$64,461	$20,000	$46,555	82%
21	University of California-San Diego	$64,437	$17,667	$12,470	86%
22	University of Southern California	$63,125	$5,500	$32,740	92%
23	California State University-Channel Islands	$62,384	$19,500	$9,849	51%
24	University of California-Los Angeles	$61,804	$16,028	$12,548	93%
25	California State University-Sacramento	$61,775	$15,019	$9,338	56%
26	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	$61,688	$18,000	$11,531	68%
27	California State University-Long Beach	$61,492	$13,000	$10,440	69%
28	Biola University	$60,014	$27,000	$31,495	68%
29	Occidental College	$59,985	$26,272	$38,263	81%
30	University of San Diego	$59,950	$25,000	$30,365	84%
31	University of California-Merced	$59,249	$18,325	$11,983	69%
32	California State University-Stanislaus	$59,229	$15,101	$6,067	53%
33	California State University-Northridge	$59,100	$15,059	$7,021	57%
34	University of La Verne	$58,897	$26,000	$20,161	63%
35	California State University-Bakersfield	$58,885	—	$5,652	50%
36	University of California-Riverside	$58,339	$19,000	$14,304	76%
37	California State University-San Bernardino	$56,799	$15,283	$4,564	55%
38	Sonoma State University	$56,345	$19,000	$12,885	58%
39	University of California-Irvine	$56,273	$15,767	$14,251	87%
40	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt	$55,707	$20,200	$13,171	49%
41	California State University-Monterey Bay	$55,654	$19,000	$13,663	59%
42	California State University-Dominguez Hills	$54,405	$16,043	$8,615	43%
43	California State University-Los Angeles	$53,908	$13,000	$3,967	53%
44	California Baptist University	$52,118	$27,000	$26,285	62%
45	California State University-Fresno	$50,728	$15,853	$7,000	57%

26 more California colleges offer Biology but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Biology graduates

Biological technician

San Diego area$67,060

California$71,440

U.S.$57,510

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

San Diego area$102,810

California$101,370

U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Natural Sciences Managers

San Diego area$207,200

California$210,230

U.S.$167,220

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 San Diego State University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About San Diego State University

Acceptance rate: 36% · admissions
Graduation rate: 76% within 6 years
Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $64,909
Full cost breakdown · all 79 majors · overview

Related majors at San Diego State University

Chemistry$74,676
Kinesiology / Exercise Science$59,914
Health Sciences$73,095
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$81,122

San Diego State University Biology questions

How much do San Diego State University Biology graduates earn?

Biology graduates of San Diego State University earn a median $68,861 four years after graduating and $33,597 one year after. The U.S. median for Biology graduates across 837 colleges is $57,996.

How much debt do San Diego State University Biology graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Biology graduates of San Diego State University is $17,998, about 26% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.

Where does San Diego State University rank for Biology in California?

Of 45 California colleges reporting Biology graduate earnings, San Diego State University ranks 13th. The highest is University of the Pacific at $83,012.

What jobs do Biology graduates get?

A common career is biological technician, with a median wage of $67,060 in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA area and $57,510 nationally. Others include secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education and natural sciences managers.

Is San Diego State University the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing San Diego State University with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free report Check my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

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: “San Diego State University Biology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/san-diego-state-university/majors/biology (College Scorecard and BLS data).

San Diego State University Biology: earnings, debt & careers