How much debt do Chapman University biology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $20,000, which ranks 26th lowest of 47 biology bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $212 a month over 10 years.

Is a biology degree from Chapman 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 California programs before deciding.

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

Q: Do Chapman University biology graduates stay in California?

Most do. 75% (21 of 28) were working in California one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Biology, General
Private nonprofit university
Orange, CA
About 47 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Chapman University biology graduates earn less than graduates of most biology programs nationally, $24,443 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $20,000 in federal loans, less than at 83% of biology programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the California median of $33,486.

First-year earnings$24,44310th percentile of 795 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$70,913190% more than year one

Median federal debt$20,00026th lowest of 47 California programs

Debt-to-earnings82%California median 56%, national 75%

How it compares

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

	Chapman University	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$24,443	$33,486	$32,212
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$70,913	$69,162	$60,596
Median federal debt at graduation	$20,000	$20,200	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	82%	56%	75%
Programs compared		47	795

Five years out, Chapman University graduates earn more than the national figure and about the same as the California median.

Debt and first-year pay at every California biology program

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

Chapman UniversityOther California 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 190% between the first and fifth year.

Chapman University grads, year 1$24,443

Chapman University grads, year 5$70,913

All California biology grads, year 5$69,162

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 $212 a month, or 10.4% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (34 borrowers)	Share
Paying down the balance	20–39%

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, 22 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $59,727.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

75% of graduates (21 of 28) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the Los Angeles area are about 14% above the national average, so a $24,443 salary here buys what about $21,523 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

$101,370

Median pay in California. 99,230 people work in this job in California. 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%: $64,600Top 10%: $132,600

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

$136,990

Median 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.

Bottom 10%: $81,320Top 10%: $180,060

Natural Sciences Managers

$210,230

Median 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.

Bottom 10%: $130,730Top 10%: $330,050

Biological Technicians

$71,440

Median 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.

Bottom 10%: $46,700Top 10%: $121,670

About Chapman University

Tuition and fees	$64,984 / year
Average net price after aid	$46,555 / year
Admission rate	65%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	82%
Undergraduate students	7,478

Biology ranks 19th of 22 bachelor's programs at Chapman University by first-year earnings. The top three are Accounting ($70,362), Computer Science ($67,125), and Business Administration ($55,657).

Other biology bachelor's programs near Orange

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Chapman UniversityOrange, CA · private nonprofit		$24,443	$20,000
UC IrvineIrvine, CA · public	10 mi	$25,388	$15,767
Biola UniversityLa Mirada, CA · private nonprofit	12 mi	$27,371	$27,000
Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	15 mi	$35,053	$13,000
Whittier CollegeWhittier, CA · private nonprofit	16 mi	$32,139	$26,000
Cal Poly PomonaPomona, CA · public	18 mi	$35,334	$18,000
University of La VerneLa Verne, CA · private nonprofit	22 mi	$22,650	$26,000
Cal State Dominguez HillsCarson, CA · public	24 mi	$31,479	$16,043
Cal State LALos Angeles, CA · public	26 mi	$33,304	$13,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $24,443 one year after graduating and $70,913 five years after. The median across biology bachelor's programs in California is $33,486.

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 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 California, ranked47 programs by pay and debt Biology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked795 programs by pay and debt All Chapman University programs, ranked23 programs by pay and debt