Marine Biology Degree in Grand Prairie, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Marine Biology degree analysis for Grand Prairie, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$47K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$58K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.8 yrs
in Grand Prairie
Cost of Living
93.8
index (100 = avg)
Marine Biology in Grand Prairie, TX Overview
Grand Prairie, Texas (pop. 196,100) has 8 colleges offering Marine Biology programs. The local cost of living index of 93.8 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $795/month. Marine Biology enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Scuba Diving and Marine Ecology. The adjusted starting salary in Grand Prairie is approximately $46,900.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
8
Public Tuition
$10,900/yr
Private Tuition
$36,000/yr
Room & Board
$12,959/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$15,206/yr
Unemployment
4.3%
Graduation Rate
69%
Marine Biology Salary in Grand Prairie (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Grand Prairie's cost of living index of 93.8 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Marine Biology salary: $50,000 starting, $62,000 mid-career, $78,000 senior level.Grand Prairie adjustment factor: 0.94x based on the local cost of living index.
Marine Biology ROI Calculator for Grand Prairie
Estimate your return on investment for a Marine Biology degree using local Grand Prairie tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,900 | Private avg: $36,000
Grand Prairie avg aid: $15,206/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$95,436
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$14,070
vs HS diploma in Grand Prairie
ROI Payback Period
6.8 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Grand Prairie
$139,064
Lifetime earnings premium ($234,500) minus total education cost ($95,436)
Student Loan Payoff for Marine Biology in Grand Prairie
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Grand Prairie for Marine Biology
Grand Prairie State University
public
$10,712/yr
$42,848 total
University of Grand Prairie
public
$9,448/yr
$37,792 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Grand Prairie Community College
$5,844/yr
Top Employers for Marine Biology in Grand Prairie
Grand Prairie offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Marine Biology graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Grand Prairie Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Marine Biology Job Titles
Marine Biology in Nearby Texas Cities
Houston, TX
$58K starting · COL 115
90 colleges
San Antonio, TX
$60K starting · COL 120
58 colleges
Dallas, TX
$52K starting · COL 104
82 colleges
Austin, TX
$54K starting · COL 107
30 colleges
Fort Worth, TX
$51K starting · COL 101
19 colleges
El Paso, TX
$47K starting · COL 93
38 colleges
Arlington, TX
$47K starting · COL 93.5
14 colleges
Corpus Christi, TX
$41K starting · COL 82
22 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Grand Prairie
Prompt Engineering
$47K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$89K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$80K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$83K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$77K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics
$80K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$47K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$75K starting · 3 yr ROI
Marine Biology Degree in Grand Prairie — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Marine Biology ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Grand Prairie.