Bachelor's · Santa Barbara, California
Is Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology at University of California-Santa Barbara worth it?
Low confidence Low confidence: fewer than 40 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back fast: graduates typically recover the cost in about 2.5 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $66,049
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $97,416
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $5,765
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $71k (likely $71k – $83k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $57k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 2.5 years (likely 2.0–3.3)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- $290k (likely $152k – $449k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $970k (likely $668k – $1.34M)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 84%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
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-Santa Barbara
- Materials Sciences (Doctoral)$164,651
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$149,190
- Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$144,703
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)$117,215
- Chemistry (Doctoral)$114,583
- Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's)$113,317
- Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's)$109,360
- Psychology, Other (Doctoral)$106,003
- Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's)$104,336
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (Bachelor's)$98,462
- Economics (Bachelor's)$98,178
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's)$96,078
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology at other schools in California
- 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
- California State University-Fullerton$68,170