How much debt do Western Oregon University biology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $27,342, which ranks 13th lowest of 13 biology bachelor's programs in Oregon. That works out to about $290 a month over 10 years.

Is a biology degree from Western Oregon University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 106% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 75%. Compare the cost with other Oregon programs before deciding.

Do Western Oregon University biology graduates stay in Oregon?

Most do. 84% (16 of 19) were working in Oregon one year after graduating.

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

Bachelor's in Biology, General
Public university
Monmouth, OR
About 26 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Western Oregon University biology graduates earn less than graduates of most biology programs nationally, $25,726 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $27,342 in federal loans, more than at 92% of biology programs in the country. Several Oregon programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$25,72613th percentile of 795 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$64,559151% more than year one

Median federal debt$27,34213th lowest of 13 Oregon programs

Debt-to-earnings106%Oregon median 81%, national 75%

How it compares

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

	Western Oregon University	Oregon	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$25,726	$30,225	$32,212
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$64,559	$54,017	$60,596
Median federal debt at graduation	$27,342	$25,400	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	106%	81%	75%
Programs compared		14	795

Five years out, Western Oregon University graduates earn more than the national figure and about $10,542 more than the Oregon median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Oregon biology program

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

Western Oregon UniversityOther Oregon 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 151% between the first and fifth year.

Western Oregon University grads, year 1$25,726

Western Oregon University grads, year 5$64,559

All Oregon biology grads, year 5$54,017

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 $290 a month, or 13.5% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (34 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

84% of graduates (16 of 19) were working in Oregon one year after graduating. Prices in the Salem area are about 4% above the national average, so a $25,726 salary here buys what about $24,820 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

$79,570

Median pay in Oregon. 11,730 people work in this job in Oregon. 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%: $49,640Top 10%: $101,310

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

$111,030

Median pay in Oregon. 1,030 people work in this job in Oregon. 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%: $69,720Top 10%: $205,870

Natural Sciences Managers

$143,120

Median pay in Oregon. 1,700 people work in this job in Oregon. 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%: $102,760Top 10%: $225,560

Biological Technicians

$52,190

Median pay in Oregon. 1,590 people work in this job in Oregon. 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%: $40,330Top 10%: $73,740

About Western Oregon University

In-state tuition and fees	$11,879 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$32,534 / year
Average net price after aid	$17,237 / year
Admission rate	98%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	47%
Undergraduate students	3,103

Biology ranks 15th of 16 bachelor's programs at Western Oregon University by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer and Information Science ($51,703), Teacher Education ($44,845), and Education ($43,879).

Other biology bachelor's programs near Monmouth

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Western Oregon UniversityMonmouth, OR · public		$25,726	$27,342
Willamette UniversitySalem, OR · private nonprofit	12 mi	$25,100	$24,870
Oregon StateCorvallis, OR · public	20 mi	$30,982	$22,846
Linfield UniversityMcMinnville, OR · private nonprofit	24 mi	$42,677	$27,000
George Fox UniversityNewberg, OR · private nonprofit	34 mi	$33,523	$27,000
Pacific UniversityForest Grove, OR · private nonprofit	47 mi	$34,612	$26,021
Lewis & Clark CollegePortland, OR · private nonprofit	50 mi	$24,050	$21,464
Portland StatePortland, OR · public	53 mi	$29,468	$25,750
University of PortlandPortland, OR · private nonprofit	56 mi	$26,340	$22,846

Common questions

The median graduate earns $25,726 one year after graduating and $64,559 five years after. The median across biology bachelor's programs in Oregon is $30,225.

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 Oregon 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 Oregon, ranked14 programs by pay and debt Biology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked795 programs by pay and debt All Western Oregon University programs, ranked16 programs by pay and debt