Biotechnology graduates from California State University-San Marcos earn $76,622 median salary, below the national average for this program. Median debt: $16,500.
Biotechnology at California State University-San Marcos
San Marcos, California • Bachelor's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Biotechnology at California State University-San Marcos
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for California State University-San Marcos and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Biotechnology at the bachelor's credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program – not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 32 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at California State University-San Marcos, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $76,622 represent Treasury-derived wages, deferred compensation, and positive self-employment earnings four years after program completion for federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. Compared to the national mean of $76,774 across all institutions offering Biotechnology, graduates here earn below the national average for this program. Across all programs at California State University-San Marcos, the mean median-earnings figure is $73,482, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. The median cumulative federal loan debt for Biotechnology graduates at California State University-San Marcos is $16,500, which translates to roughly $138 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The descriptive debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.22: reported annual earnings exceed cumulative debt. This is a PlainCollege comparison, not a federal gainful-employment verdict. Program-level debt and four-year post-completion earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard field-of-study snapshot retrieved in March 2026.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Biotechnology at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Worcester State University | $90,565 | $17,455 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | $87,600 | $21,500 |
| Syracuse University | $87,596 | $27,000 |
| University of California-Davis | $87,406 | $12,843 |
| University of Houston | $78,750 | $17,250 |
| Endicott College | $78,735 | $25,300 |
| California State University-San Marcos (this school) | $76,622 | $16,500 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | $74,613 | $23,937 |
| California State University-Northridge | $73,542 | $20,618 |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | $73,152 | $17,562 |
Other Programs at California State University-San Marcos
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $148,800 | $60,000 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $120,196 | $24,246 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $105,743 | $36,990 |
| Computer Science | $97,827 | $12,500 |
| Education, General | $95,348 | $20,936 |
| Computer Systems Analysis | $93,047 | - |
| Biotechnology | $92,859 | - |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $88,196 | $70,750 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $86,318 | $20,452 |
| Economics | $83,339 | $18,620 |
View all 46 programs at California State University-San Marcos →
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About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
PlainCollege's Scorecard snapshots, retrieved March–July 2026, contain 6,243 postsecondary institutions and 70,827 school-and-program earnings records.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.