MAJORS · 48 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is a microbiology & immunology degree worth it?
Part of Life Sciences and Biology — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$202,419. But the spread is the real story.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
+$202,419
across 62 bachelor’s programs · 3,060 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
+$225K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
+$123K ⟷ +$319K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
14.4%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
35
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
+$113K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$102K
Questions
- Is a microbiology & immunology degree worth it?
- On average yes — across 62 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Microbiology & Immunology is +$202,419 and the median is +$224,601. 14.4% of graduates in this field never break even on the degree. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between +$122,711 and +$319,363.
- How long until a microbiology & immunology degree pays off?
- Among Microbiology & Immunology programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 35 (FREOPP 2021). 14.4% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for a microbiology & immunology major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Microbiology & Immunology graduates span +$122,711 to +$319,363 — a +$197K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.
↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology
Cite this:
LE TEEN (2026). “Microbiology & Immunology: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/microbiology-and-immunology