ROI Major

Biology, General at Prairie View Agricultural & Mechanical University

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 26.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Biology, General degree from Prairie View Agricultural & Mechanical University earn a median salary of $60,028 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $65,177. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.6 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

$44,828

Typical Career

$60,028

Top Performers

$74,643

Estimated break-even: 8.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$400

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,002. Most students can comfortably afford about a $400 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 25.8%
Health Care & Social Assistance 24.7%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.0%

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

$65,177

Nominal: $60,028 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

8.6 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 $24,623 $33,485 $44,669
5 Years After Graduation $44,828 $60,028 $74,643
10 Years After Graduation $63,346 $82,374 $127,509

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 $60,028 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $60,028 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $65,177 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 Prairie View Agricultural & Mechanical University can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $33,485, which increases to $60,028 five years post-graduation and reaches $82,374 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $65,176.98, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive income relative to national standards despite the lower cost of living in Texas.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (25.8%), Health Care & Social Assistance (24.7%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (8.0%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 8.6 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Biology, General appears favorable. This suggests that the degree not only opens doors to various career paths but also provides a solid financial foundation over time.

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 Prairie View Agricultural & Mechanical University 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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