How much debt do Delta State biology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $22,601, which ranks 3rd lowest of 9 biology bachelor's programs in Mississippi. That works out to about $240 a month over 10 years.

Is a biology degree from Delta State worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 109% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 75%. Compare the cost with other Mississippi programs before deciding.

Delta State Biology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Delta State biology graduates stay in Mississippi?

Most do. 75% (18 of 24) were working in Mississippi one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Biology, General
Public university
Cleveland, MS
About 34 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Delta State biology graduates earn less than graduates of most biology programs nationally, $20,823 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $22,601 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,000. Several Mississippi programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$20,8234th percentile of 795 programs nationally

Median federal debt$22,6013rd lowest of 9 Mississippi programs

Debt-to-earnings109%Mississippi median 109%, national 75%

How it compares

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

	Delta State	Mississippi	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$20,823	$21,325	$32,212
Median federal debt at graduation	$22,601	$24,157	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	109%	109%	75%
Programs compared		9	795

Debt and first-year pay at every Mississippi biology program

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

Delta StateOther Mississippi programs

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

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $240 a month, or 13.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

75% of graduates (18 of 24) were working in Mississippi one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of Mississippi outside metro areas are about 16% below the national average, so a $20,823 salary here buys what about $24,894 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

$50,980

Median pay in Mississippi. 10,400 people work in this job in Mississippi. 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%: $45,760Top 10%: $62,850

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

$54,040

Median pay in Mississippi. 440 people work in this job in Mississippi. 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%: $41,360Top 10%: $84,350

Natural Sciences Managers

$119,430

Median pay in Mississippi. 210 people work in this job in Mississippi. 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%: $75,920Top 10%: $185,540

Biological Technicians

$56,930

Median pay in Mississippi. 330 people work in this job in Mississippi. 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%: $38,550Top 10%: $79,440

About Delta State

Tuition and fees	$8,605 / year
Average net price after aid	$13,540 / year
Admission rate	100%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	48%
Undergraduate students	1,620

Biology ranks 9th of 10 bachelor's programs at Delta State by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($68,221), Teacher Education ($39,008), and Subject-Area Teacher Education ($34,177).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $20,823 one year after graduating. The median across biology bachelor's programs in Mississippi is $21,325.

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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi, ranked9 programs by pay and debt Biology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked795 programs by pay and debt All Delta State programs, ranked10 programs by pay and debt