ROI Major

Biology, General at Berry College

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 26.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Biology, General degree from Berry College earn a median salary of $58,150 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $64,254. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.9 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

$40,342

Typical Career

$58,150

Top Performers

$77,901

Estimated break-even: 8.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$388

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,846. Most students can comfortably afford about a $388 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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: Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Health Care & Social Assistance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 21.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 16.7%
Health Care & Social Assistance 16.3%

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

$64,254

Nominal: $58,150 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).

8.9 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 $20,910 $28,646 $39,857
5 Years After Graduation $40,342 $58,150 $77,901
10 Years After Graduation $64,689 $87,351 $128,840

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 $58,150 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)
= $58,150 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $64,254 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 Berry College experience a notable earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $28,646, which increases to $58,150 after five years and reaches $87,351 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with the national average at $64,254.14, indicating that graduates can expect competitive earnings relative to their peers across the country, especially considering Georgia's lower cost of living index of 0.905.

The top industries for Biology graduates from Berry College include Educational Services (21.6%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (16.7%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (16.3%). The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 8.9 years, suggesting that while the initial investment in education may take time to pay off, the long-term return on investment appears favorable. Overall, a degree in Biology from Berry College can lead to solid career opportunities and a sustainable financial future.

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 Berry College 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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