ROI Major

Biology, General at Georgia Institute of Technology

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 26.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Biology, General degree from Georgia Institute of Technology earn a median salary of $62,620 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $69,193. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.9 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$41,830

Typical Career

$62,620

Top Performers

$78,952

Estimated break-even: 7.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$417

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,218. Most students can comfortably afford about a $417 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Manufacturing, Information.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 29.7%
Manufacturing 17.0%
Information 7.9%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$69,193

Nominal: $62,620 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

7.9 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $24,039 $33,020 $45,392
5 Years After Graduation $41,830 $62,620 $78,952
10 Years After Graduation $69,605 $98,506 $155,464

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $62,620 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $62,620 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $69,193 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Biology, General from Georgia Institute of Technology experience a notable earnings trajectory. One year post-graduation, median earnings stand at $33,020, which increases to $62,620 after five years, and reaches $98,506 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation equate to $69,193.37 nationally, reflecting a competitive salary relative to the cost of living in Georgia, where the COL index is 0.905 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries for Biology graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (29.7%), Manufacturing (17.0%), and Information (7.9%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 7.9 years, indicating a reasonable return on investment for pursuing this degree. Overall, the career prospects and financial benefits suggest that a degree in Biology, General can be a sound choice for students at Georgia Institute of Technology.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Biology, General degree at Georgia Institute of Technology stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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