by our College Data Analytics TeamWe've pulled together some essential information you should know about the program, including how many students graduate each year, the ethnic diversity of these students, average starting salaries, and more. We've also included details on how Cal Poly San Luis Obispo ranks compared to other colleges offering a major in biology.
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Cal Poly San Luis Obispo was ranked #120 on College Factual's most recent list of the best schools for biology majors. This puts the bachelor's program at the school solidly in the top 15% of all colleges and universities in the country. It is also ranked #16 in California.
During the 2020-2021 academic year, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo handed out 204 bachelor's degrees in general biology. This is an increase of 4% over the previous year when 197 degrees were handed out.
In 2021, 19 students received their master’s degree in biology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. This makes it the #86 most popular school for biology master’s degree candidates in the country.
The median salary of biology students who receive their bachelor's degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $32,589. This is great news for graduates of the program, since this figure is higher than the national average of $27,253 for all biology bachelor's degree recipients.
Biology majors graduating with a master's degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo make a median salary of $50,485 a year. This is a better than average outcome since the median salary for all biology graduates with a master's is $36,880.
While getting their bachelor's degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, biology students borrow a median amount of $22,949 in student loans. This is not too bad considering that the median debt load of all biology bachelor's degree recipients across the country is $25,375.
The typical student loan payment of a bachelor's degree student from the biology program at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $559 per month.
Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the biology majors at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
During the 2020-2021 academic year, 204 biology majors earned their bachelor's degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Of these graduates, 30% were men and 70% were women.
The majority of the students with this major are white. About 55% of 2021 graduates were in this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo with a bachelor's in biology.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 24 |
| Black or African American | 1 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36 |
| White | 113 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 1 |
| Other Races | 29 |
During the 2020-2021 academic year, 19 students graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. About 26% were men and 74% were women.
The majority of master's degree recipients in this major at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are white. In the most recent graduating class for which data is available, 79% of students fell into this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo with a master's in biology.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 0 |
| Black or African American | 0 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2 |
| White | 15 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 1 |
| Other Races | 1 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology | 36 |
| Microbiological Sciences & Immunology | 27 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
