Plum, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs, with tuition ranging from $35,874 to $83,654 per year for indexed programs. Plum has a population of about 26,873. Median household income is $98,475 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning biology-related role is Medical Scientist at a median $99,190 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Biology Schools to Plum
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Plum, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Plum city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Plum.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
62%
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,410
Avg net price
$29,954/yr
TuitionIn‑state$44,626
Out‑of‑state$44,626
Key stats- Retention rate: 78%
- Programs offered: 22
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
12%
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$114,862
Avg net price
$31,944/yr
TuitionIn‑state$66,246
Out‑of‑state$66,246
Key stats- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 41
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,125
Avg net price
$30,434/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 92%
- Programs offered: 80
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
87%
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,051
Avg net price
$20,786/yr
TuitionIn‑state$35,874
Out‑of‑state$35,874
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 33
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,341
Avg net price
$20,794/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 21
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
79%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$74,742
Avg net price
$37,730/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 85%
- Programs offered: 49
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,856
Avg net price
$25,942/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 44
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,748
Avg net price
$22,204/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 31
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania biology page.
Biology Wages Near Plum
Plum is part of the Pittsburgh, PA metro area (BLS area code 38300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Medical Scientist | $99,190 | PA statewide | $104,741 |
| Biological Technician | $47,810 | Pittsburgh, PA | $50,486 |
| Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist | $78,540 | PA statewide | $82,936 |
| Soil and Plant Scientist | $70,550 | PA statewide | $74,498 |
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Plum at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 26,873 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $98,475 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 43.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 94.7 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Plum-Area Cities With Biology Programs
- Monroeville, PA – 5.3 mi away (27,953 pop)
- Murrysville, PA – 6.3 mi away (20,042 pop)
- Pittsburgh, PA – 12.7 mi away (1,722,206 pop)
- Bethel Park, PA – 19.5 mi away (31,911 pop)
- Monessen, PA – 25.2 mi away (63,467 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited biology schools are near Plum, PA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Plum. The closest is Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA (9.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is La Roche University (13.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying biology roles near Plum?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Plum are: Medical Scientist ($99,190), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($78,540), Soil and Plant Scientist ($70,550). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Monroeville instead of Plum?
Monroeville, PA is 5.3 miles from Plum and has its own set of local biology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Plum an affordable place to study biology?
Plum’s median household income of $98,475 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Plum while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Learn More About Biology Programs
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Data verified: July 30, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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