# Southern Oregon University: Biology (bachelor's)

Ashland, OR. IPEDS 210146, CIP 26.01. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/southern-oregon-university/majors/biology

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $33,930
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $63,008 (U.S. median for this major: $57,996 across 837 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $27,000 (U.S. median $25,000)
- Rank in OR: 1 of 12 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the OR median for this major (12 colleges, $50,586): +$12,422
- Versus the U.S. median: +$5,012

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.34 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $63,008 minus $36,549 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OR (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $11,830 | $51,342 | 1.9 years |
| 30-48k | $12,466 | $54,102 | 2.0 years |
| 48-75k | $15,813 | $68,628 | 2.6 years |
| 75-110k | $22,415 | $97,281 | 3.7 years |
| 110k+ | $24,181 | $104,946 | 4.0 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Biology at OR colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Oregon University | $63,008 | $27,000 | $16,732 | 43% |
| University of Portland | $58,051 | $22,846 | $28,210 | 80% |
| Portland State University | $54,934 | $25,750 | $9,552 | 53% |
| Pacific University | $53,092 | $26,021 | $35,273 | 67% |
| George Fox University | $52,264 | $27,000 | $31,679 | 72% |
| University of Oregon | $51,459 | $25,400 | $22,182 | 72% |
| Linfield University | $49,714 | $27,000 | $26,536 | 71% |
| Lewis & Clark College | $49,503 | $21,464 | $36,013 | 75% |
| Oregon State University | $47,221 | $22,846 | $19,604 | 70% |
| Oregon State University-Cascades Campus | $47,221 | $22,846 | $18,048 | 56% |
| Western Oregon University | $45,268 | $27,342 | $17,237 | 47% |
| Willamette University | $45,197 | $24,870 | $25,121 | 71% |

## Careers
- Biological technician (SOC 19-4020): median wage $48,420 Medford, OR, $52,190 OR, $57,510 U.S.; U.S. jobs 7.4% by 2035
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $77,180 Medford, OR, $79,570 OR, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Natural Sciences Managers (SOC 11-9121): median wage $128,600 Medford, OR, $143,120 OR, $167,220 U.S.; U.S. jobs 8.2% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).