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Biological Sciences · Microbiology & Immunology Rank #30 of 57

Microbiology & Immunologyat North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Graduates earn $43,761/yr in their first year — about 15.0% above the national Microbiology & Immunology average. Base-case 10-year earnings $497K; scenarios range from $467K to $497K depending on AI disruption.

Raleigh, NC Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
52 AVERAGE
52
Optimistic
49
Pessimistic
Earnings
$43,761
1-year post-graduation
ROI
11.3x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$497K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
51% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at NC State

At $43,761 per year, Microbiology & Immunology graduates from North Carolina State University at Raleigh earn slightly above the $38,184 national median. The premium is real but not dramatic.

The 14.0x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 45% task exposure — and the 6% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The $22,956 debt-to-$43,761 income ratio translates to about 6 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.

At #30 out of 57 programs, North Carolina State University at Raleigh's financial outcomes for Microbiology & Immunology trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

AI Outlook Integration

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.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$467K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score49/100
Earnings Multiple13.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$497K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score52/100
Earnings Multiple14.0x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$497K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score52/100
Earnings Multiple14.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to NC State's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Microbiology & Immunology graduates typically work

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.

1
Natural sciences managers
+3.7% 10-yr growth · 8,500 openings/yr
$161,180/yr
High
2
Medical and health services managers
+23.2% 10-yr growth · 62,100 openings/yr
$117,960/yr
Moderate
3
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
+17.3% 10-yr growth · 27,400 openings/yr
$105,620/yr
Moderate
4
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
+8.7% 10-yr growth · 9,600 openings/yr
$100,590/yr
High
5
Biological scientists, all other
+1.2% 10-yr growth · 4,800 openings/yr
$93,330/yr
Moderate
6
Microbiologists
+4.1% 10-yr growth · 1,700 openings/yr
$87,330/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Microbiology & Immunology

How NC State stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
San Francisco State University
CA · Public
74
DW Score
$56K
1-yr earn
28.6x
ROI
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
58
DW Score
$56K
1-yr earn
11.6x
ROI
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
WI · Public
65
DW Score
$54K
1-yr earn
14.6x
ROI
University of California-Berkeley
CA · Public
52
DW Score
$51K
1-yr earn
7.5x
ROI
University of Wisconsin-Madison
WI · Public
64
DW Score
$49K
1-yr earn
13.5x
ROI
Also at NC State

Other top programs at NC State

Other highest-scoring programs offered at NC State, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Microbiology & Immunology at NC State

How does North Carolina State University at Raleigh's Microbiology & Immunology program score?

A score of 52/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but North Carolina State University at Raleigh trails the majority of Microbiology & Immunology programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

How vulnerable is Microbiology & Immunology to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Microbiology & Immunology careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 45% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.