MAJORS · 10 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is a physiology & pathology degree worth it?
Part of Life Sciences and Biology — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, no — the mean lifetime ROI is −$49,965, by FREOPP’s own published number. The honest details matter.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
−$49,965
across 56 bachelor’s programs · 5,570 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
−$42K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
−$175K ⟷ +$79K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
58.4%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
43
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
−$79K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$107K
Questions
- Is a physiology & pathology degree worth it?
- On average no — across 56 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Physiology & Pathology is −$49,965 and the median is −$41,610. 58.4% 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 −$174,709 and +$79,157.
- How long until a physiology & pathology degree pays off?
- Among Physiology & Pathology programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 43 (FREOPP 2021). 58.4% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for a physiology & pathology major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Physiology & Pathology graduates span −$174,709 to +$79,157 — a +$254K 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). “Physiology & Pathology: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/physiology-and-pathology