Life sciences: every university, ranked by pay
Animal Sciences at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Bachelor's degree · San Luis Obispo, California · 366 graduates in two years
What do Cal Poly animal sciences graduates earn?
Median yearly pay of graduates who had federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Hidden where too few graduates to publish.
What does it take to get into Cal Poly?
Admission is to the university, not the program, at most US schools.
How much does Cal Poly cost?
Sticker price for a year, and what students actually paid after grants.
The cost by family income, debt and who finishes are on Cal Poly's page.
What careers does Animal Sciences lead to?
Careers people reach through this field, each with its pay, training and what the work is like.
- BiologistStudy living things, in a lab or out in the field, and turn what you find into reports people act on.$99kTypical pay4 to 10 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemand
- MicrobiologistGrow, identify and outsmart the organisms too small to see, in medicine, food, water and drug manufacturing.$88kTypical pay4 to 9 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemand
- Family DoctorEleven years of training, then a career looking after the same people from birth to old age.$244kTypical pay11 to 12 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemand
- AcupuncturistTreat pain and illness with needles at specific points on the body. A master's degree, a state license, and usually your own practice.$76kTypical pay5 to 8 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemand
- Addiction CounselorSit with people at the worst point of their lives and help them get out. You can start this one without a degree.$59kTypical pay1 to 6 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemand
- AgronomistThe science of soil and crops. You tell farmers what to plant, what to feed it and why the yield dropped.$79kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemand
Animal Sciences at other universities
The same program elsewhere, California first, then the best paid.
| University | Pay, five years out | Debt | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, DavisCalifornia | $61,736 | $12,860 | 42% |
| Auburn UniversityAlabama | $74,560 | $19,250 | 46% |
| University of GeorgiaGeorgia | $71,367 | $20,000 | 38% |
| Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana | $69,107 | $18,593 | 73% |
| Cornell UniversityNew York | $66,003 | $11,146 | 9% |
| University of ArkansasArkansas | $64,390 | $19,196 | 74% |
| West Virginia UniversityWest Virginia | $61,778 | $19,500 | 89% |
| Texas A&M UniversityTexas | $61,547 | $15,000 | 57% |
| Purdue UniversityIndiana | $61,452 | $19,250 | 50% |
| Mississippi State UniversityMississippi | $61,111 | $23,531 | 78% |
| Oklahoma State UniversityOklahoma | $60,326 | $15,000 | 75% |
| The Pennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania | $60,025 | $21,500 | 61% |
Where these numbers come from
College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Pay is the median for graduates who received federal aid, measured one and five years after finishing; debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.
Careerhelp is not affiliated with California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Figures describe past students.