How much debt do North Carolina Central University biology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $30,420, which ranks 28th lowest of 28 biology bachelor's programs in North Carolina. That works out to about $323 a month over 10 years.

Is a biology degree from North Carolina Central University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 100% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 75%. Compare the cost with other North Carolina programs before deciding.

North Carolina Central University Biology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do North Carolina Central University biology graduates stay in North Carolina?

Most do. 83% (35 of 42) were working in North Carolina one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Biology, General
Public university
Durham, NC
About 61 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

North Carolina Central University biology graduates earn about what biology graduates earn nationally, $30,423 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $30,420 in federal loans, more than at 97% of biology programs in the country. Several North Carolina programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$30,42337th percentile of 795 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$53,77977% more than year one

Median federal debt$30,42028th lowest of 28 North Carolina programs

Debt-to-earnings100%North Carolina median 80%, national 75%

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.

	North Carolina Central University	North Carolina	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$30,423	$30,693	$32,212
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$53,779	$54,147	$60,596
Median federal debt at graduation	$30,420	$26,914	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	100%	80%	75%
Programs compared		28	795

Five years out, North Carolina Central University graduates earn less than the national figure and about the same as 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.

North Carolina Central UniversityOther North Carolina 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 77% between the first and fifth year.

North Carolina Central University grads, year 1$30,423

North Carolina Central University grads, year 5$53,779

All North Carolina biology grads, year 5$54,147

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 $323 a month, or 12.7% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (84 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20% or less
Paused payments (forbearance)	20–39%
In default	20% 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, 35 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $15,094.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

83% of graduates (35 of 42) were working in North Carolina one year after graduating. Prices in the Durham area are about 2% below the national average, so a $30,423 salary here buys what about $31,180 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

$57,650

Median 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.

Bottom 10%: $45,430Top 10%: $64,460

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

$102,980

Median 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.

Bottom 10%: $63,800Top 10%: $171,170

Natural Sciences Managers

$173,870

Median 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.

Bottom 10%: $101,810Top 10%: $305,970

Biological Technicians

$61,720

Median 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.

Bottom 10%: $41,300Top 10%: $79,070

About North Carolina Central University

In-state tuition and fees	$6,699 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$19,735 / year
Average net price after aid	$15,359 / year
Admission rate	87%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	42%
Undergraduate students	6,081

Biology ranks 12th of 20 bachelor's programs at North Carolina Central University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($76,142), Computer and Information Science ($74,597), and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences ($62,022).

Other biology bachelor's programs near Durham

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
North Carolina Central UniversityDurham, NC · public		$30,423	$30,420
Duke UniversityDurham, NC · private nonprofit	3 mi	$30,939	$12,500
UNC Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC · public	10 mi	$33,471	$15,100
Meredith CollegeRaleigh, NC · private nonprofit	17 mi	$43,182	$27,000
NC StateRaleigh, NC · public	18 mi	$36,157	$21,500
William Peace UniversityRaleigh, NC · private nonprofit	19 mi	$39,710	$28,500
Elon UniversityElon, NC · private nonprofit	35 mi	$32,683	$24,125
Campbell UniversityBuies Creek, NC · private nonprofit	40 mi	$35,579	$27,000
NC A&TGreensboro, NC · public	49 mi	$31,660	$28,358

Common questions

The median graduate earns $30,423 one year after graduating and $53,779 five years after. The median across biology bachelor's programs in North Carolina is $30,693.

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

Biology bachelor's programs in North Carolina, ranked28 programs by pay and debt Biology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked795 programs by pay and debt All North Carolina Central University programs, ranked20 programs by pay and debt