How much debt do Binghamton University biology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $20,478, which ranks 22nd lowest of 64 biology bachelor's programs in New York. That works out to about $217 a month over 10 years.

Is a biology degree from Binghamton University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 82% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 75%. Compare the cost with other New York programs before deciding.

Binghamton University Biology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Binghamton University biology graduates stay in New York?

Most do. 87% (149 of 171) were working in New York one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Biology, General
Public university
Vestal, NY
About 458 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Binghamton University biology graduates earn less than graduates of most biology programs nationally, $25,016 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $20,478 in federal loans, less than at 82% of biology programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the New York median of $32,288.

First-year earnings$25,01611th percentile of 795 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$68,571174% more than year one

Median federal debt$20,47822nd lowest of 64 New York programs

Debt-to-earnings82%New York median 72%, national 75%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The New York and national columns are the medians across all biology bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Binghamton University	New York	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$25,016	$32,288	$32,212
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$68,571	$67,930	$60,596
Median federal debt at graduation	$20,478	$24,500	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	82%	72%	75%
Programs compared		65	795

Five years out, Binghamton University graduates earn more than the national figure and about the same as the New York median.

Debt and first-year pay at every New York biology program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the New York medians.

Binghamton UniversityOther New York programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 174% between the first and fifth year.

Binghamton University grads, year 1$25,016

Binghamton University grads, year 5$68,571

All New York biology grads, year 5$67,930

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Does family income change the outcome?

Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned more in their first year than other graduates. At this program, the outcome does not look worse for students with less money.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$28,942Median debt $20,500

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$22,150Median debt $19,746

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $217 a month, or 10.4% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (174 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20–29%
Paying down the balance	20–29%
Paused payments (forbearance)	10% or less
In default	10% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual. Separately, 69 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $28,038.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

87% of graduates (149 of 171) were working in New York one year after graduating. Prices in the Binghamton area are about 7% below the national average, so a $25,016 salary here buys what about $26,939 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to biology, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$97,070

Median pay in New York. 70,660 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $60,070Top 10%: $136,450

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

$87,760

Median pay in New York. 7,690 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 13% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: doctoral or professional degree.

Bottom 10%: $67,490Top 10%: $177,510

Natural Sciences Managers

$134,680

Median pay in New York. 5,690 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $65,440Top 10%: $291,780

Biological Technicians

$61,210

Median pay in New York. 5,050 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,400 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $39,040Top 10%: $79,630

About Binghamton University

In-state tuition and fees	$10,567 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$30,447 / year
Average net price after aid	$21,620 / year
Admission rate	39%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	82%
Undergraduate students	14,655

Biology ranks 31st of 35 bachelor's programs at Binghamton University by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Engineering ($86,938), Nursing ($86,404), and Computer Science ($82,329).

Other biology bachelor's programs near Vestal

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY · public		$25,016	$20,478
Ithaca CollegeIthaca, NY · private nonprofit	36 mi	$28,351	$26,000
Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY · private nonprofit	36 mi	$34,500	$16,000
SUNY CortlandCortland, NY · public	37 mi	$29,383	$26,000
Marywood UniversityScranton, PA · private nonprofit	48 mi	$43,968	$27,000
University of ScrantonScranton, PA · private nonprofit	50 mi	$31,251	$27,000
Hartwick CollegeOneonta, NY · private nonprofit	52 mi	$38,467	$27,000
SUNY OneontaOneonta, NY · public	53 mi	$32,738	$21,537
Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY · private nonprofit	55 mi	$34,796	$14,730

Common questions

The median graduate earns $25,016 one year after graduating and $68,571 five years after. The median across biology bachelor's programs in New York is $32,288.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of New York comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the biology program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Biology bachelor's programs in New York, ranked65 programs by pay and debt Biology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked795 programs by pay and debt All Binghamton University programs, ranked35 programs by pay and debt