How much debt do Shepherd University biology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $21,937, which ranks the lowest of 6 biology bachelor's programs in West Virginia. That works out to about $233 a month over 10 years.

Is a biology degree from Shepherd University worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 45% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 75%.

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

Bachelor's in Biology, General
Public university
Shepherdstown, WV
About 24 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Shepherd University biology graduates earn more than graduates of most biology programs nationally, $49,165 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $21,937 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,000. It is one of the higher-paying biology degrees in West Virginia.

First-year earnings$49,16599th percentile of 795 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$57,98718% more than year one

Median federal debt$21,937The lowest of 6 West Virginia programs

Debt-to-earnings45%West Virginia median 85%, national 75%

How it compares

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

	Shepherd University	West Virginia	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$49,165	$27,789	$32,212
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$57,987	$59,223	$60,596
Median federal debt at graduation	$21,937	$23,681	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	45%	85%	75%
Programs compared		6	795

Five years out, Shepherd University graduates earn less than the national figure and about the same as the West Virginia median.

Debt and first-year pay at every West Virginia biology program

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

Shepherd UniversityOther West Virginia 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 18% between the first and fifth year.

Shepherd University grads, year 1$49,165

Shepherd University grads, year 5$57,987

All West Virginia biology grads, year 5$59,223

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 $233 a month, or 5.7% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (36 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.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

Prices in the Washington area are about 9% above the national average, so a $49,165 salary here buys what about $45,154 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

$56,610

Median pay in West Virginia. 3,590 people work in this job in West Virginia. 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%: $48,450Top 10%: $64,040

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

$82,690

Median pay in West Virginia. 330 people work in this job in West Virginia. 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%: $61,950Top 10%: $173,900

Natural Sciences Managers

$138,010

Median pay in West Virginia. 160 people work in this job in West Virginia. 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%: $100,140Top 10%: $185,220

Biological Technicians

$51,440

Median pay in West Virginia. 100 people work in this job in West Virginia. 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%: $41,620Top 10%: $90,900

About Shepherd University

In-state tuition and fees	$9,056 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$19,082 / year
Average net price after aid	$11,363 / year
Admission rate	97%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	51%
Undergraduate students	2,344

Biology ranks 3rd of 15 bachelor's programs at Shepherd University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($75,914), Computer and Information Science ($57,265), and Biology ($49,165).

Other biology bachelor's programs near Shepherdstown

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Shepherd UniversityShepherdstown, WV · public		$49,165	$21,937
Shenandoah UniversityWinchester, VA · private nonprofit	26 mi	$40,980	$23,250
McDaniel CollegeWestminster, MD · private nonprofit	44 mi	$33,241	$21,375
Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburg, PA · public	46 mi	$37,665	$27,000
George MasonFairfax, VA · public	49 mi	$34,719	$21,625
Marymount UniversityArlington, VA · private nonprofit	51 mi	$31,156	$27,750
Stevenson UniversityOwings Mills, MD · private nonprofit	55 mi	$32,983	$27,000
University of MarylandCollege Park, MD · public	55 mi	$30,325	$19,000
UMBCBaltimore, MD · public	60 mi	$33,055	$20,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $49,165 one year after graduating and $57,987 five years after. The median across biology bachelor's programs in West Virginia is $27,789.

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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia, ranked6 programs by pay and debt Biology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked795 programs by pay and debt All Shepherd University programs, ranked15 programs by pay and debt