How much debt do Oakland University biology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $25,435, which ranks 11th lowest of 22 biology bachelor's programs in Michigan. That works out to about $270 a month over 10 years.

Is a biology degree from Oakland University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 93% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 75%. Compare the cost with other Michigan programs before deciding.

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

Q: Do Oakland University biology graduates stay in Michigan?

Most do. 93% (128 of 138) were working in Michigan one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Biology, General
Public university
Rochester Hills, MI
About 141 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Oakland University biology graduates earn less than graduates of most biology programs nationally, $27,497 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $25,435 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,000. Several Michigan programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$27,49722nd percentile of 795 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$50,61584% more than year one

Median federal debt$25,43511th lowest of 22 Michigan programs

Debt-to-earnings93%Michigan median 92%, national 75%

How it compares

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

	Oakland University	Michigan	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$27,497	$27,416	$32,212
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$50,615	$58,652	$60,596
Median federal debt at graduation	$25,435	$26,063	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	93%	92%	75%
Programs compared		22	795

Five years out, Oakland University graduates earn less than the national figure and about $8,037 less than the Michigan median. Several Michigan programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

Debt and first-year pay at every Michigan biology program

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

Oakland UniversityOther Michigan 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 84% between the first and fifth year.

Oakland University grads, year 1$27,497

Oakland University grads, year 5$50,615

All Michigan biology grads, year 5$58,652

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Does family income change the outcome?

Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned $1,912 less in their first year than other graduates. Students who expect to rely on grants should weigh this gap.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$27,514Median debt $24,804

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$29,426Median debt $26,000

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $270 a month, or 11.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (139 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	10% or less
Paying down the balance	20–29%
Paused payments (forbearance)	10–19%
In default	10% 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, 53 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $18,030.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

93% of graduates (128 of 138) were working in Michigan one year after graduating. Prices in the Detroit area are about the same as the national average.

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

$66,030

Median pay in Michigan. 25,540 people work in this job in Michigan. 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%: $47,830Top 10%: $98,720

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

$84,310

Median pay in Michigan. 2,370 people work in this job in Michigan. 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%: $63,590Top 10%: $144,530

Natural Sciences Managers

$129,070

Median pay in Michigan. 2,220 people work in this job in Michigan. 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%: $68,380Top 10%: $222,030

Biological Technicians

$51,070

Median pay in Michigan. 1,160 people work in this job in Michigan. 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%: $38,900Top 10%: $67,870

About Oakland University

In-state tuition and fees	$15,262 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$23,188 / year
Average net price after aid	$9,120 / year
Admission rate	88%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	58%
Undergraduate students	12,351

Biology ranks 36th of 40 bachelor's programs at Oakland University by first-year earnings. The top three are Electrical Engineering ($80,623), Computer Engineering ($78,709), and Mechanical Engineering ($78,213).

Other biology bachelor's programs near Rochester Hills

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI · public		$27,497	$25,435
University of Detroit MercyDetroit, MI · private nonprofit	18 mi	$19,882	$21,500
Madonna UniversityLivonia, MI · private nonprofit	22 mi	$46,127	$30,750
Wayne StateDetroit, MI · public	23 mi	$21,716	$21,788
UM-DearbornDearborn, MI · public	25 mi	$20,671	$23,836
UM-FlintFlint, MI · public	34 mi	$26,707	$26,125
Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI · public	36 mi	$32,586	$26,000
University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI · public	38 mi	$26,888	$20,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $27,497 one year after graduating and $50,615 five years after. The median across biology bachelor's programs in Michigan is $27,416.

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 Michigan 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 Michigan, ranked22 programs by pay and debt Biology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked795 programs by pay and debt All Oakland University programs, ranked40 programs by pay and debt