How much debt do University of Miami biology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $16,991, which ranks 5th lowest of 24 biology bachelor's programs in Florida. That works out to about $180 a month over 10 years.

Is a biology degree from University of Miami worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 97% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 75%. Compare the cost with other Florida programs before deciding.

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

Q: Do University of Miami biology graduates stay in Florida?

Most do. 66% (42 of 64) were working in Florida one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Biology, General
Private nonprofit university
Coral Gables, FL
About 84 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

University of Miami biology graduates earn less than graduates of most biology programs nationally, $17,571 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $16,991 in federal loans, less than at 92% of biology programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the Florida median of $27,355.

First-year earnings$17,5711st percentile of 795 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$64,693268% more than year one

Median federal debt$16,9915th lowest of 24 Florida programs

Debt-to-earnings97%Florida median 83%, national 75%

How it compares

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

	University of Miami	Florida	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$17,571	$27,355	$32,212
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$64,693	$54,842	$60,596
Median federal debt at graduation	$16,991	$21,825	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	97%	83%	75%
Programs compared		24	795

Five years out, University of Miami graduates earn more than the national figure and about $9,851 more than the Florida median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Florida biology program

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

University of MiamiOther Florida 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 268% between the first and fifth year.

University of Miami grads, year 1$17,571

University of Miami grads, year 5$64,693

All Florida biology grads, year 5$54,842

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 about the same in their first year as other graduates. At this program, the outcome does not look worse for students with less money.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$17,576Median debt $17,500

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$17,905Median debt $16,500

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $180 a month, or 12.3% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (85 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20% or less
Paused payments (forbearance)	20% or less
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, 27 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $55,831.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

66% of graduates (42 of 64) were working in Florida one year after graduating. Prices in the Miami area are about 14% above the national average, so a $17,571 salary here buys what about $15,392 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

$60,410

Median pay in Florida. 49,810 people work in this job in Florida. 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%: $49,210Top 10%: $77,100

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

$94,940

Median pay in Florida. 6,490 people work in this job in Florida. 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%: $64,630Top 10%: $208,090

Natural Sciences Managers

$112,220

Median pay in Florida. 4,370 people work in this job in Florida. 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%: $62,660Top 10%: $216,330

Biological Technicians

$48,700

Median pay in Florida. 3,170 people work in this job in Florida. 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%: $36,050Top 10%: $78,130

About University of Miami

Tuition and fees	$62,616 / year
Average net price after aid	$37,244 / year
Admission rate	19%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	84%
Undergraduate students	12,913

Biology ranks 28th of 31 bachelor's programs at University of Miami by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Science ($76,877), Nursing ($75,036), and Information Technology ($73,059).

Other biology bachelor's programs near Coral Gables

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL · private nonprofit		$17,571	$16,991
FIUMiami, FL · public	6 mi	$21,529	$15,000
Miami Dade CollegeMiami, FL · public	7 mi	$34,568	$13,750
Barry UniversityMiami, FL · private nonprofit	12 mi	$32,556	$30,500
Nova Southeastern UniversityFort Lauderdale, FL · private nonprofit	25 mi	$23,110	$21,750
Keiser UniversityFort Lauderdale, FL · private nonprofit	33 mi	$34,287	$39,000
FAUBoca Raton, FL · public	46 mi	$27,676	$17,537

Common questions

The median graduate earns $17,571 one year after graduating and $64,693 five years after. The median across biology bachelor's programs in Florida is $27,355.

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 Florida 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 Florida, ranked24 programs by pay and debt Biology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked795 programs by pay and debt All University of Miami programs, ranked31 programs by pay and debt