Botany/Plant Biology: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 7 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Botany/Plant Biology pays
Career outlook for Botany/Plant Biology graduates
The job market for the occupations Botany/Plant Biology graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | 104,300 | +3.7% | $161,180 | Bachelor's degree |
| Biological science teachers, postsecondary | 66,000 | +7.3% | $83,460 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Biological scientists, all other | 63,700 | +1.2% | $93,330 | Bachelor's degree |
| Soil and plant scientists | 20,700 | +5.4% | $71,410 | Bachelor's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Botany/Plant Biology vs similar majors
How Botany/Plant Biology stacks up against the closest fields in Biological & Biomedical Sciences on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Botany/Plant Biology Biological & Biomedical Sciences · this major | Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | Pharmacology and Toxicology | Biotechnology | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 18 F | 86 A | 91 A | 87 A |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $37,795 | $122,658 | $92,541 | $89,459 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $30,713 | $82,737 | $51,581 | $63,581 |
| ROI vs cost | -200% | +824% | +493% | +437% |
| Typical debt | — | $33,122 | $22,369 | $29,545 |
| Colleges offering it | 7 | 11 | 5 | 23 |
Botany/Plant Biology earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Botany/Plant Biology
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, CA | Associate's | $52,224 | — | +174% | Strong return |
| 2 | Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH | Associate's | $35,390 | — | -322% | Poor return |
| 3 | Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH | Associate's | $35,390 | — | -902% | Poor return |
| 4 | Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH | Associate's | $35,390 | — | -935% | Poor return |
| 5 | Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH | Associate's | $35,390 | — | -936% | Poor return |
| 6 | Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH | Associate's | $35,390 | — | -950% | Poor return |
| 7 | Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH | Associate's | $35,390 | — | -1,324% | Poor return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.