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Biological and Physical Sciences at Virginia Western Community College

Roanoke, VA · Public · Associate Degree
45 /100
TradeSchoolWorth Score (Base Case)
48
Strong Growth
45
Base Case
42
Conservative
Earnings $27,786/yr (5% vs median)
AI-Proof Resilient (72% shielded)
Job Market Large (88,200 openings/yr)

Future-Proof Earnings

Three scenarios modeling future earnings based on technology adoption rates and job market trends for Biological and Physical Sciences graduates.

Strong Growth
Full Stability		 Base Case
Moderate Changes		 Conservative
Max Disruption
10-Year Earnings $466K $324K $237K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 44.4x 30.9x 22.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 20.7x 14.4x 10.5x
Viable Career Paths 3 of 3 3 of 3 3 of 3
TradeSchoolWorth Score 48 45 42

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as technology and market conditions evolve over time.

Program Tuition (In-State)
$10,512
Out-of-state: $22,518
Median Debt at Graduation
$6,000
2.6 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$42,298
52% growth from Year 1

Career Paths

Where Biological and Physical Sciences graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 88,200 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI-Proof
Natural sciences managers $161,180 8,500 +3.7% 50%
Postsecondary teachers, all other $78,490 13,500 +1.8% 100%
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education $64,580 66,200 -1.6% 67%

Compare & Explore

Biological and Physical Sciences Overview

View all 43 schools offering Biological and Physical Sciences →

Biological and Physical Sciences at Other Schools

Laurel Ridge Community College ($37,850) College of Lake County ($37,724) Riverside City College ($33,201) City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College ($33,115) Modesto Junior College ($31,960) Shasta College ($31,415) Tidewater Community College ($30,605) Joliet Junior College ($30,509)

Other Majors at Virginia Western Community College

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($64,052) Dental Support Services and Allied Professions ($61,030) Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($54,480) Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians ($49,287) Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants ($48,420) Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) ($40,629) Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians ($40,104) Business Administration, Management and Operations ($38,214)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TradeSchoolWorth Score for Biological and Physical Sciences at Virginia Western Community College?
This program scores 45/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 42 (conservative) to 48 (strong growth) depending on market conditions.
How AI-proof is a career in Biological and Physical Sciences?
We model three scenarios: Strong Growth (full career stability), Base Case (moderate changes), and Conservative (maximum disruption). In the base case, Biological and Physical Sciences graduates retain 3 of 3 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $236,984 (conservative) to $466,361 (strong growth).
How many job openings are there for Biological and Physical Sciences graduates?
The career paths mapped to Biological and Physical Sciences have roughly 88,200 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Biological and Physical Sciences at Virginia Western Community College worth it?
In the Base Case, this program earns 30.9x its tuition over 10 years. Even in the Conservative scenario, the multiple is 22.5x. The narrow spread between scenarios shows how stable trade careers are compared to desk jobs.
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 model earnings resilience using AI exposure data and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2026.