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Zoology/Animal Biology at North Dakota State University-Main Campus

Fargo, ND · Public · Bachelor's Degree
46 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
51
Optimistic
46
Base Case
39
Pessimistic
Earnings $33,115/yr (16% vs median)
AI Risk High (46% exposed)
Job Market Medium (29,200 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Zoology/Animal Biology graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $646K $401K $250K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 14.9x 9.2x 5.8x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 10.4x 6.5x 4.0x
Viable Career Paths 5 of 5 5 of 5 5 of 5
DegreeWorth Score 51 46 39

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$43,428
Out-of-state: $62,044
Median Debt at Graduation
$23,808
8.6 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$56,284
70% growth from Year 1

Career Paths

Where Zoology/Animal Biology graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 29,200 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Natural sciences managers $161,180 8,500 +3.7% 50%
Biological scientists, all other $93,330 4,800 +1.2% 49%
Biological science teachers, postsecondary $83,460 5,400 +7.3% 47%
Zoologists and wildlife biologists $72,860 1,400 +1.6% 45%
Biological technicians $52,000 9,100 +3.5% 42%

Compare & Explore

Zoology/Animal Biology at Other Schools

San Francisco State University ($41,565) University of California-Santa Barbara ($37,633) University of Connecticut ($35,618) University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus ($35,618) University of Connecticut-Avery Point ($35,618) University of Connecticut-Stamford ($35,618) University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus ($35,618) University of Maine ($35,130)

Other Majors at North Dakota State University-Main Campus

Computer Engineering ($76,558) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($75,212) Construction Engineering Technologies ($74,199) Civil Engineering ($72,729) Mechanical Engineering ($72,158) Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($70,821) Industrial Engineering ($68,873) Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($67,303)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Zoology/Animal Biology at North Dakota State University-Main Campus?
This program scores 46/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 51 (optimistic) to 39 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Zoology/Animal Biology career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Zoology/Animal Biology graduates retain 5 of 5 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $249,736 (pessimistic) to $645,993 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Zoology/Animal Biology graduates?
The career paths mapped to Zoology/Animal Biology have roughly 29,200 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a medium job market.
Is Zoology/Animal Biology at North Dakota State University-Main Campus worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 9.2x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 5.8x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.