Marine Biology Degree in Kansas City, KS — Salary & ROI 2026
Marine Biology degree analysis for Kansas City, KS. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$41K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$51K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
7.5 yrs
in Kansas City
Cost of Living
82.5
index (100 = avg)
Marine Biology in Kansas City, KS Overview
Kansas City, Kansas (pop. 156,607) has 6 colleges offering Marine Biology programs. The local cost of living index of 82.5 keeps student expenses low, with average rent near campus at $405/month. Marine Biology enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Scuba Diving and Marine Ecology. The adjusted starting salary in Kansas City is approximately $41,250.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
6
Public Tuition
$10,000/yr
Private Tuition
$28,000/yr
Room & Board
$13,267/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$14,093/yr
Unemployment
2.9%
Graduation Rate
61%
Marine Biology Salary in Kansas City (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Kansas City's cost of living index of 82.5 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Marine Biology salary: $50,000 starting, $62,000 mid-career, $78,000 senior level.Kansas City adjustment factor: 0.82x based on the local cost of living index.
Marine Biology ROI Calculator for Kansas City
Estimate your return on investment for a Marine Biology degree using local Kansas City tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,000 | Private avg: $28,000
Kansas City avg aid: $14,093/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$93,068
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$12,375
vs HS diploma in Kansas City
ROI Payback Period
7.5 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Kansas City
$113,182
Lifetime earnings premium ($206,250) minus total education cost ($93,068)
Student Loan Payoff for Marine Biology in Kansas City
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Kansas City for Marine Biology
Kansas City State University
public
$9,282/yr
$37,128 total
University of Kansas City
public
$9,330/yr
$37,320 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Kansas City Community College
$5,644/yr
Top Employers for Marine Biology in Kansas City
Kansas City offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Marine Biology graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Kansas City Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Marine Biology Job Titles
Marine Biology in Nearby Kansas Cities
Wichita, KS
$52K starting · COL 104
20 colleges
Overland Park, KS
$52K starting · COL 103
13 colleges
Olathe, KS
$48K starting · COL 96.8
6 colleges
Topeka, KS
$42K starting · COL 84
14 colleges
Lawrence, KS
$54K starting · COL 108
5 colleges
Shawnee, KS
$43K starting · COL 86.5
3 colleges
Lenexa, KS
$48K starting · COL 96.2
3 colleges
Manhattan, KS
$48K starting · COL 95
6 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Kansas City
Prompt Engineering
$41K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$78K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$70K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$73K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$68K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$41K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$66K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$41K starting · 3 yr ROI
Marine Biology Degree in Kansas City — 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 Kansas City.