Majors
Best Colleges for Biological and Physical Sciences, by Earnings
84 of the colleges we track award a bachelor's degree in Biological and Physical Sciences, about 2,360 degrees a year. Across the 30 that report earnings, graduates make a median of $62,858 four years after finishing.
| Rank | College | State | Median earnings, 4 years out | Degrees a year | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Notre Dame | IN | $102,801 | 61 | 11.3% |
| 2 | Thomas Edison State University | NJ | $90,507 | 69 | |
| 3 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | PA | $71,028 | 25 | 90.8% |
| 4 | Fordham University | NY | $70,101 | 21 | 59.3% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania State University | PA | $69,102 | 89 | 60.6% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | PA | $69,102 | 16 | 96.8% |
| 7 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | PA | $69,102 | 14 | 98.7% |
| 8 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | PA | $69,102 | 12 | 97.6% |
| 9 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton | PA | $69,102 | 3 | 98.5% |
| 10 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State York | PA | $69,102 | 2 | 97.4% |
| 11 | Pennsylvania State University-World Campus | PA | $69,102 | 1 | 91.2% |
| 12 | Washington State University | WA | $68,583 | 28 | 86.6% |
| 13 | Bard College | NY | $64,518 | 95 | 52.1% |
| 14 | CUNY Hunter College | NY | $63,406 | 67 | 53.8% |
| 15 | Indiana University-Kokomo | IN | $63,018 | 17 | 86.5% |
| 16 | University of Pittsburgh | PA | $62,698 | 82 | 58.1% |
| 17 | University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg | PA | $62,698 | 7 | 95.2% |
| 18 | Virginia Commonwealth University | VA | $61,395 | 74 | 92.6% |
| 19 | University of Oregon | OR | $58,319 | 97 | 88.3% |
| 20 | University of Georgia | GA | $58,123 | 107 | 37.7% |
| 21 | Portland State University | OR | $57,303 | 133 | 90.9% |
| 22 | University of Houston-Downtown | TX | $56,995 | 25 | 90% |
| 23 | Middle Tennessee State University | TN | $56,293 | 49 | 69.1% |
| 24 | University of Puget Sound | WA | $55,690 | 25 | 72.3% |
| 25 | Whitworth University | WA | $55,534 | 50 | 89.8% |
| 26 | University of Alaska Anchorage | AK | $51,889 | 37 | |
| 27 | The Evergreen State College | WA | $48,623 | 95 | 96.4% |
| 28 | Pennsylvania Western University | PA | $45,272 | 10 | 94.3% |
| 29 | Grand Valley State University | MI | $45,090 | 18 | 83% |
| 30 | New College of Florida | FL | $41,759 | 45 | 73.2% |
54 more colleges award this degree but have no earnings figure, usually because the program is small.
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Frequently asked questions
Which college has the highest-paid Biological and Physical Sciences graduates?
University of Notre Dame ($102,801), Thomas Edison State University ($90,507), Indiana University of Pennsylvania ($71,028), Fordham University ($70,101), Pennsylvania State University ($69,102) report the highest median earnings four years after graduation.
How much do Biological and Physical Sciences majors make?
The median across 30 colleges is $62,858 four years after graduation. By college it runs from $41,759 to $102,801.
Which colleges have the biggest Biological and Physical Sciences programs?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in a year: Florida International University (546), Portland State University (133), University of Georgia (107), University of Oregon (97), Bard College (95).
Does a higher-earning program mean a better program?
Not on its own. Earnings reflect where graduates live, what jobs they take, and who enrolled in the first place, as well as the teaching. The figures cover only graduates who received federal financial aid, and small programs are left out, so a college missing from this list may still have a strong department.
Source: College Scorecard, Most Recent Data by Field of Study (U.S. Department of Education), 2026-06-10 release, federal program category "Biological and Physical Sciences". Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal financial aid, working and not enrolled, four years after a bachelor's degree.
