Biology, General at McLennan Community College
TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 26.01
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Biology, General degree from McLennan Community College earn a median salary of $52,031 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $56,494. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.2 years.
Quick Insights
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
$37,592
Typical Career
$52,031
Top Performers
$68,911
Estimated break-even: 11.2 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$347
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,336. Most students can comfortably afford about a $347 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 Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Retail Trade.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$56,494
Nominal: $52,031 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).
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 | $23,981 | $33,699 | $51,052 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $37,592 | $52,031 | $68,911 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $48,761 | $64,628 | $91,284 |
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 $52,031 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)
= $52,031 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210)
= $56,494 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The majority of graduates find employment in the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 80.5% entering this field shortly after graduation. This trend is consistent across various stages of their careers, with significant percentages remaining in the same industry five and ten years later. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 11.2 years, suggesting that while the investment in a degree may take over a decade to recoup, the long-term return on investment appears favorable, particularly in a growing industry like health care.
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Other Degrees at McLennan Community College
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.