Johnson C Smith University Biology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Bachelor's in Biology, General
- Private nonprofit university
- Charlotte, NC
- About 24 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
Johnson C Smith University biology graduates earn about what biology graduates earn nationally, $28,675 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $28,123 in federal loans, more than at 94% of biology programs in the country. Several North Carolina programs report higher pay.
How it compares
Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The North Carolina and national columns are the medians across all biology bachelor's programs that report the figure.
Five years out, Johnson C Smith University graduates earn less than the national figure and about $12,431 less than the North Carolina median.
Debt and first-year pay at every North Carolina biology program
Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the North Carolina 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 45% 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 $298 a month, or 12.5% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
22 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $23,988.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
67% of graduates (18 of 27) were working in North Carolina one year after graduating. Prices in the Charlotte area are about 3% below the national average, so a $28,675 salary here buys what about $29,456 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
$57,650Median pay in North Carolina. 28,620 people work in this job in North Carolina. 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.
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
$102,980Median pay in North Carolina. 5,730 people work in this job in North Carolina. 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
$173,870Median pay in North Carolina. 6,010 people work in this job in North Carolina. 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
$61,720Median pay in North Carolina. 2,460 people work in this job in North Carolina. 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.
About Johnson C Smith University
Biology ranks 6th of 7 bachelor's programs at Johnson C Smith University by first-year earnings. The top three are Business Administration ($37,906), Liberal Arts and General Studies ($33,847), and Criminology ($32,751).
Other biology bachelor's programs near Charlotte
Common questions
The median graduate earns $28,675 one year after graduating and $41,716 five years after. The median across biology bachelor's programs in North Carolina is $30,693.
The median federal loan balance is $28,123, which ranks 25th lowest of 28 biology bachelor's programs in North Carolina. That works out to about $298 a month over 10 years.
It depends on your other options. Debt equals 98% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 75%. Compare the cost with other North Carolina programs before deciding.
Most do. 67% (18 of 27) were working in North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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