ROI Major

Biology, General at North Greenville University

SC · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 26.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Biology, General degree from North Greenville University earn a median salary of $50,636 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $53,189. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.9 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

$37,349

Typical Career

$50,636

Top Performers

$68,301

Estimated break-even: 10.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$338

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,220. Most students can comfortably afford about a $338 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 South Carolina buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 26.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance 12.9%
Retail Trade 8.2%

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

$53,189

Nominal: $50,636 in South Carolina (COL 95.2% of national avg) · 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).

10.9 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 $20,152 $27,344 $35,414
5 Years After Graduation $37,349 $50,636 $68,301
10 Years After Graduation $57,867 $72,585 $94,389

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 $50,636 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in SC, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $50,636 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520) = $53,189 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 North Greenville University can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $27,344, which rises to $50,636 five years post-graduation and reaches $72,585 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with the national average at approximately $53,189, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, the long-term financial outlook improves significantly.

The primary industries that Biology graduates enter include Educational Services (26.9%), Health Care & Social Assistance (12.9%), and Retail Trade (8.2%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 10.9 years, suggesting that while there is a delay in recouping educational investments, the degree can lead to substantial career opportunities in growing fields. Overall, the return on investment for this degree appears favorable for those willing to commit to the longer-term career trajectory.

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 North Greenville 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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