ROI Major

Biology, General at Grayson College

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 26.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Biology, General degree from Grayson College earn a median salary of $42,505 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $46,151. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.2 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

$25,504

Typical Career

$42,505

Top Performers

$61,332

Estimated break-even: 10.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$283

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,542. Most students can comfortably afford about a $283 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x 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: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Finance & Insurance.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 40.5%
Educational Services 13.7%
Finance & Insurance 7.1%

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

$46,151

Nominal: $42,505 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).

10.2 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 $23,252 $36,491 $63,134
5 Years After Graduation $25,504 $42,505 $61,332
10 Years After Graduation $45,751 $83,557 $124,613

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 $42,505 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)
= $42,505 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $46,151 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 Grayson College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $36,491, increasing to $42,505 after five years, and reaching $83,557 a decade post-graduation. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted median earnings five years after graduation are approximately $46,150.92, reflecting a favorable financial outlook relative to the national average, particularly given Texas's lower cost-of-living index of 0.921.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 85.7% initially employed in this field. This trend continues as 40.5% and 17.5% remain in similar roles over time, indicating a strong industry demand for biology graduates. With an estimated break-even point of about 10.2 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Biology, General appears to be substantial, particularly in a state with a lower cost of living.

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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.