ROI Major

Biology, General at Casper College

WY · Associate's Degree · CIP 26.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Biology, General degree from Casper College earn a median salary of $50,881 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $54,652. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.8 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$32,572

Typical Career

$50,881

Top Performers

$72,395

Estimated break-even: 11.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$339

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,240. Most students can comfortably afford about a $339 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Wyoming buys what costs $0.93 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 31.6%
Educational Services 14.7%
Public Administration 9.9%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$54,652

Nominal: $50,881 in Wyoming (COL 93.1% of national avg) · 7.4% 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).

11.8 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 $19,955 $27,237 $37,592
5 Years After Graduation $32,572 $50,881 $72,395
10 Years After Graduation $39,310 $65,986 $117,529

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 $50,881 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WY, which has a cost-of-living index of 93.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $50,881 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9310) = $54,652 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates with a General Biology degree from Casper College shows a steady increase over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $27,237.00, which rises to $50,881.00 after five years and reaches $65,986.00 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $54,651.99 nationally, indicating that graduates may experience a favorable financial outlook relative to cost of living differences, particularly in Wyoming, where the cost of living index is 0.931 compared to the national average of 1.0.

Graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 31.6% in this field, followed by 23.3% and 18.9% in similar roles. This concentration suggests a strong alignment between the program and industry demand, which may enhance job security and opportunities. The estimated break-even point of approximately 11.8 years compared to a high school-only path indicates a reasonable return on investment for students pursuing this degree, particularly given the potential for growth in earnings over time.

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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.