---
title: Is a Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences degree worth the debt?
cip: 2609
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is a Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **55** colleges (55 of 55 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $27,085 ($27,181 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $22,000 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.86× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $24,923–$30,007 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bachelor's | $27,085 | $22,000 | 0.86× | 55 | 55/55 |
| Master's | $36,214 | $48,483 | 1.28× | 17 | 17/17 |

## Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| George Washington University (DC) | $36,630 | $19,500 |
| San Francisco State University (CA) | $35,916 | $16,750 |
| University of California-Davis (CA) | $34,098 | $14,154 |
| University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (WI) | $33,354 | $21,938 |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst (MA) | $32,667 | $25,000 |
| Marquette University (WI) | $32,585 | $27,000 |
| Ursinus College (PA) | $32,195 | $27,000 |
| Boston University (MA) | $31,920 | $27,000 |
| Merrimack College (MA) | $31,295 | — |
| Central Washington University (WA) | $31,254 | $20,000 |
| Baldwin Wallace University (OH) | $30,752 | $26,722 |
| Gordon College (MA) | $30,735 | $27,000 |
| University of Colorado Boulder (CO) | $30,428 | $19,483 |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (MN) | $30,300 | $20,400 |
| University of Wisconsin-Superior (WI) | $29,714 | — |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/physiology-pathology-and-related-sciences.jsonld` · `/education/fields/physiology-pathology-and-related-sciences.json`