Microbiology & Immunologyat California State University-Chico
Graduates earn $49,068/yr in their first year — about 29.0% above the national Microbiology & Immunology average. Base-case 10-year earnings $587K; scenarios range from $532K to $591K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Chico State
Your decision to explore Microbiological Sciences and Immunology at CSU Chico is well-founded; this program consistently places graduates into strong career paths. The robust outcomes you see reflect a curriculum that likely emphasizes practical lab skills, research methodologies, and critical thinking essential for today's biotech and healthcare sectors. While Chico itself isn't a major biotech hub, California's vast life sciences industry, from the Bay Area to Southern California, eagerly recruits talent with these specialized skills. Graduates often find roles in pharmaceutical companies, public health laboratories, academic research, or hospital settings, leveraging their expertise in disease mechanisms and immune responses.
The program's strength also prepares you for advanced roles, with many alumni moving into management or specialized research. While some routine lab tasks might face automation (contributing to the AI risk score), the higher-level analytical, problem-solving, and managerial roles this degree enables remain highly human-centric and in demand. To truly maximize your potential, actively seek out internship opportunities in diverse settings—whether in a research lab, a biotech startup, or a public health agency—to gain invaluable real-world experience and build your professional network.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Chico State's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Microbiology & Immunology
How Chico State stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Chico State
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Chico State, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Microbiology & Immunology at Chico State
What does a 66/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Microbiology & Immunology at California State University-Chico?
At 66/100, California State University-Chico's Microbiology & Immunology program delivers middling returns. School cost and personal fit become important decision factors.
Should I worry about AI if I study Microbiology & Immunology at California State University-Chico?
The 45% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.