---
title: Is a Zoology/Animal Biology degree worth the debt?
cip: 2607
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 Zoology/Animal Biology degree worth the debt?

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

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $24,443 ($25,194 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $23,250 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.96× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $22,266–$27,184 — 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 | $24,443 | $23,250 | 0.96× | 55 | 55/55 |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| San Francisco State University (CA) | $33,776 | $11,000 |
| Brigham Young University (UT) | $31,142 | — |
| University of North Dakota (ND) | $28,778 | — |
| University of California-Davis (CA) | $28,474 | — |
| University of New England (ME) | $28,207 | $26,948 |
| Weber State University (UT) | $28,201 | $18,532 |
| University of Connecticut (CT) | $27,868 | $23,250 |
| University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus (CT) | $27,868 | $23,250 |
| University of Connecticut-Avery Point (CT) | $27,868 | $23,250 |
| University of Connecticut-Stamford (CT) | $27,868 | $23,250 |
| University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus (CT) | $27,868 | $23,250 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI) | $27,864 | $23,250 |
| Kansas State University (KS) | $27,468 | $21,750 |
| Utah State University (UT) | $27,362 | — |
| Friends University (KS) | $27,006 | $18,750 |

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/zoology-animal-biology.jsonld` · `/education/fields/zoology-animal-biology.json`