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Biological Sciences · Biotechnology Rank #18 of 18

Biotechnologyat Rochester Institute of Technology

Graduates earn $41,895/yr in their first year — about 13.0% below the national Biotechnology average. Base-case 10-year earnings $591K; scenarios range from $536K to $602K depending on AI disruption.

Rochester, NY Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
30 AT RISK
31
Optimistic
27
Pessimistic
Earnings
$41,895
1-year post-graduation
ROI
1.8x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$591K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
55% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at RIT

First-year earnings of $41,895 track close to the $48,121 national median for Biotechnology programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

An earnings multiple of 2.6x means the program roughly breaks even in financial terms over ten years. Non-financial factors need to justify the investment.

AI risk is moderate — 48% task exposure — and the 11% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The $23,937 debt-to-$41,895 income ratio translates to about 7 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.

At #18 out of 18 programs, Rochester Institute of Technology's financial outcomes for Biotechnology trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

Earnings growth from $41,895 to $63,542 over five years (52% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.

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
$536K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score27/100
Earnings Multiple2.4x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$591K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score30/100
Earnings Multiple2.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$602K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score31/100
Earnings Multiple2.6x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Career Paths

Where Biotechnology 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
Biological scientists, all other
+1.2% 10-yr growth · 4,800 openings/yr
$93,330/yr
Moderate
3
Biological science teachers, postsecondary
+7.3% 10-yr growth · 5,400 openings/yr
$83,460/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 Biotechnology

How RIT stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Worcester State University
MA · Public
64
DW Score
$70K
1-yr earn
18.3x
ROI
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
CA · Public
64
DW Score
$61K
1-yr earn
26.0x
ROI
University of California-Davis
CA · Public
61
DW Score
$59K
1-yr earn
14.3x
ROI
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
NJ · Public
43
DW Score
$57K
1-yr earn
7.2x
ROI
Utah Valley University
UT · Public
61
DW Score
$52K
1-yr earn
28.3x
ROI
Also at RIT

Other top programs at RIT

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

FAQ

Frequently asked about Biotechnology at RIT

How does Rochester Institute of Technology's Biotechnology program score?

This program scores 30/100 — on the lower end for Biotechnology. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.

How vulnerable is Biotechnology to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Biotechnology careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 48% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.