Marine Biology Degree in Virginia Beach, VA — Salary & ROI 2026
Marine Biology degree analysis for Virginia Beach, VA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$44K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$55K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.3 yrs
in Virginia Beach
Cost of Living
88
index (100 = avg)
Marine Biology in Virginia Beach, VA Overview
Virginia Beach, Virginia (pop. 459,470) has 13 colleges offering Marine Biology programs. The local cost of living index of 88 keeps student expenses low, with average rent near campus at $975/month. Marine Biology enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Scuba Diving and Marine Ecology. The adjusted starting salary in Virginia Beach is approximately $44,000.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
13
Public Tuition
$11,210/yr
Private Tuition
$28,926/yr
Room & Board
$9,485/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$12,610/yr
Unemployment
3.2%
Graduation Rate
51%
Marine Biology Salary in Virginia Beach (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Virginia Beach's cost of living index of 88 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Marine Biology salary: $50,000 starting, $62,000 mid-career, $78,000 senior level.Virginia Beach adjustment factor: 0.88x based on the local cost of living index.
Marine Biology ROI Calculator for Virginia Beach
Estimate your return on investment for a Marine Biology degree using local Virginia Beach tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $11,210 | Private avg: $28,926
Virginia Beach avg aid: $12,610/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$82,780
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$13,200
vs HS diploma in Virginia Beach
ROI Payback Period
6.3 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Virginia Beach
$137,220
Lifetime earnings premium ($220,000) minus total education cost ($82,780)
Student Loan Payoff for Marine Biology in Virginia Beach
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Virginia Beach for Marine Biology
Regent University
private
$19,100/yr
$76,400 total
Virginia Wesleyan University
private
$38,752/yr
$155,008 total
Old Dominion University
public
$11,210/yr
$44,840 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Tidewater Community College
$5,340/yr
Top Employers for Marine Biology in Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Marine Biology graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Virginia Beach Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Marine Biology Job Titles
Marine Biology in Nearby Virginia Cities
Chesapeake, VA
$46K starting · COL 91
12 colleges
Arlington, VA
$71K starting · COL 142.5
9 colleges
Norfolk, VA
$47K starting · COL 93
16 colleges
Richmond, VA
$50K starting · COL 100
11 colleges
Newport News, VA
$46K starting · COL 92.5
7 colleges
Alexandria, VA
$51K starting · COL 102
8 colleges
Hampton, VA
$49K starting · COL 97
7 colleges
Roanoke, VA
$44K starting · COL 88.5
4 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Virginia Beach
Prompt Engineering
$44K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$84K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$75K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$77K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$72K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$44K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$70K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$44K starting · 3 yr ROI
Marine Biology Degree in Virginia Beach — 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 Virginia Beach.