Bachelor's · Raleigh, North Carolina

Is Zoology/Animal Biology at North Carolina State University at Raleigh worth it?

Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.

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

Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 15.9 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $34,851; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $41,289; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $18,449; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families: $70k (likely $70k – $90k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $5k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in NC; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 15.9 years (likely 9.4–20+); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: −$198k (likely −$265k – −$138k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: −$119k (likely −$247k – $15k); Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide): 85%; Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26

Change income, residency or loans Compare Zoology/Animal Biology at other schools

🩺 Getting ready in high school

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

AP classes

AP Biology
AP Chemistry
AP Psychology
AP Statistics

IB Higher Level

Biology HL
Chemistry HL

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

Other majors at North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Computer Science (Master's)$164,757
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Post-baccalaureate certificate)$159,290
Computer Software and Media Applications (Master's)$148,845
Engineering, General (Master's)$145,889
Applied Mathematics (Master's)$141,131
Statistics (Master's)$137,104
Chemical Engineering (Master's)$131,873
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Master's)$131,229
Marketing (Graduate certificate)$131,083
Marketing (Post-baccalaureate certificate)$131,018
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Graduate certificate)$130,140
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$127,702

Zoology/Animal Biology at other schools in North Carolina

Lees-McRae College$38,699