Cal Poly SLO Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Bachelor's in Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
- Public university
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- About 37 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
Cal Poly SLO biochemistry and molecular biology graduates earn more than graduates of most biochemistry and molecular biology programs nationally, $57,538 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $17,500 in federal loans, less than at 81% of biochemistry and molecular biology programs in the country. It is one of the higher-paying biochemistry and molecular biology degrees in California.
How it compares
Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The California and national columns are the medians across all biochemistry and molecular biology bachelor's programs that report the figure.
Five years out, Cal Poly SLO graduates earn more than the national figure but about $3,971 less than the California median.
Debt and first-year pay at every California biochemistry and molecular biology program
Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the California medians.
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 26% between the first and fifth year.
Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.
Paying back the loans
On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $186 a month, or 3.9% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
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.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
86% of graduates (24 of 28) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the San Luis Obispo area are about 9% above the national average, so a $57,538 salary here buys what about $52,984 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 biochemistry and molecular biology, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
$136,990Median pay in California. 29,830 people work in this job in California. 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.
Natural Sciences Managers
$210,230Median pay in California. 14,950 people work in this job in California. 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.
Biological Technicians
$71,440Median pay in California. 9,210 people work in this job in California. 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.
Biochemists and Biophysicists
$139,580Median pay in California. 3,240 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 12% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: doctoral or professional degree.
About Cal Poly SLO
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ranks 24th of 50 bachelor's programs at Cal Poly SLO by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Engineering ($111,560), Computer Science ($111,141), and Construction Management ($92,785).
Common questions
The median graduate earns $57,538 one year after graduating and $72,627 five years after. The median across biochemistry and molecular biology bachelor's programs in California is $42,266.
The median federal loan balance is $17,500, which ranks 11th lowest of 16 biochemistry and molecular biology bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $186 a month over 10 years.
On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 30% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 57%.
Most do. 86% (24 of 28) were working in California one year after graduating.
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 California 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 biochemistry and molecular 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