Southern Arkansas University Biology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Bachelor's in Biology, General
- Public university
- Magnolia, AR
- About 47 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
Southern Arkansas University biology graduates earn less than graduates of most biology programs nationally, $26,044 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $20,375 in federal loans, less than at 82% of biology programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the Arkansas median of $27,992.
How it compares
Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Arkansas and national columns are the medians across all biology bachelor's programs that report the figure.
Debt and first-year pay at every Arkansas biology program
Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Arkansas medians.
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 $216 a month, or 10.0% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
71% of graduates (17 of 24) were working in Arkansas one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of Arkansas outside metro areas are about 17% below the national average, so a $26,044 salary here buys what about $31,396 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
$59,660Median pay in Arkansas. 12,890 people work in this job in Arkansas. 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
$72,530Median pay in Arkansas. 230 people work in this job in Arkansas. 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
$119,430Median pay in Arkansas. 340 people work in this job in Arkansas. 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
$46,930Median pay in Arkansas. 420 people work in this job in Arkansas. 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 Southern Arkansas University
Biology ranks 13th of 14 bachelor's programs at Southern Arkansas University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($67,213), Physics ($58,870), and Subject-Area Teacher Education ($44,843).
Other biology bachelor's programs near Magnolia
Common questions
The median graduate earns $26,044 one year after graduating. The median across biology bachelor's programs in Arkansas is $27,992.
The median federal loan balance is $20,375, which ranks 5th lowest of 9 biology bachelor's programs in Arkansas. That works out to about $216 a month over 10 years.
It depends on your other options. Debt equals 78% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 75%. Compare the cost with other Arkansas programs before deciding.
Most do. 71% (17 of 24) were working in Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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