Bachelor's · Riverside, California

Is Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology at University of California-Riverside worth it?

High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back in time: graduates typically recover the cost in about 4.5 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $43,140; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $63,963; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $15,000; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families: $54k (likely $54k – $64k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $24k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CA; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 4.5 years (likely 3.8–5.5); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: −$12k (likely −$69k – $42k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: $294k (likely $161k – $428k); Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide): 75%; Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in: not reported / ≤ 20%; NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20

Change income, residency or loans Compare Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology at other schools

🌱 Getting ready in high school

Students heading toward animals, plants & the planet majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.

AP classes

AP Biology
AP Environmental Science
AP Chemistry
AP Statistics

IB Higher Level

Biology HL
Environmental Systems and Societies

Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.

Other majors at University of California-Riverside

Medicine (Doctoral)$128,469
Computer Science (Master's)$127,113
Medicine (First professional)$126,607
Engineering, General (Master's)$122,820
Research and Experimental Psychology (Doctoral)$119,816
Chemistry (Doctoral)$118,789
Computer Science (Bachelor's)$117,705
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Master's)$109,400
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$107,193
Mechanical Engineering (Master's)$106,742
Education, General (Doctoral)$105,195
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)$102,630

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology at other schools in California

University of California-Santa Barbara$90,694
University of California-Santa Cruz$88,305
University of San Diego$83,380
California State University-Long Beach$79,820
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$78,097
California State University-East Bay$77,863
San Francisco State University$76,134
University of California-Los Angeles$73,506
University of California-San Diego$72,491
University of California-Davis$70,754