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2024 Best General Biology Schools in Virginia

25 Colleges in Virginia
3,235 Biology Degrees Awarded
$28,504 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in general biology, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #5 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 25 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for general biology students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 3,235 degrees in general biology to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General Biology School

Best General Biology Schools in Virginia The biology program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for General Biology rankings. For our Best Overall General Biology School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

General Biology Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Biology
Master's Degrees in Biology
Doctor's Degrees in Biology

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best General Biology Schools in Virginia ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for General Biology in Virginia

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the biology degree levels they offer.

10 Top Virginia Schools in Biology

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
348 Biology Degrees Awarded
$23,465 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of Virginia - Main Campus if you want to pursue a degree in general biology. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 348 general biology students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the biology program earn an average of $23,465 for their early career.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of Virginia - Main Campus

2
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
278 Biology Degrees Awarded
$22,263 Median Starting Salary

Virginia Tech is a good decision for students interested in a degree in general biology. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were roughly 278 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the biology program earn around $22,263 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in general biology from Virginia Tech

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
422 Biology Degrees Awarded
$43,632 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat George Mason University if you wish to pursue a degree in general biology. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 422 general biology students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general biology major at George Mason University make $15,128 above the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general biology from George Mason University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
452 Biology Degrees Awarded
$19,662 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in general biology needs to take a look at Virginia Commonwealth University. VCU is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #240 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were about 452 general biology students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the biology program report average early career earnings of $19,662.

More information about a degree in general biology from Virginia Commonwealth University

5
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In VA
164 Biology Degrees Awarded

William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the small suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were roughly 164 general biology students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general biology from William & Mary

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Biology Degrees Awarded
$38,712 Median Starting Salary

VMI is a small public school located in the distant town of Lexington. A Best Colleges rank of #326 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means VMI is a great school overall.

There were about 31 general biology students who graduated with this degree at VMI in the most recent data year. General Biology degree recipients from Virginia Military Institute get an earnings boost of about $10,208 above the typical income of general biology majors.

More information about a degree in general biology from Virginia Military Institute

7
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
192 Biology Degrees Awarded
$27,637 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 192 general biology students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the biology program make around $27,637 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in general biology from James Madison University

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 Biology Degrees Awarded
$27,901 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Newport News, CNU is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 17th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 127 general biology students who graduated with this degree at CNU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the biology program report average early career wages of $27,901.

More information about a degree in general biology from Christopher Newport University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Biology Degrees Awarded
7.8% Growth in Graduates

Randolph - Macon is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Ashland. This college ranks 22nd out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 51 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Randolph - Macon in the most recent data year. Those general biology students who get their degree from Randolph - Macon College receive $7,898 more than the standard biology grad.

More information about a degree in general biology from Randolph - Macon College

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
204 Biology Degrees Awarded
$28,135 Median Starting Salary

Old Dominion is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk. A Best Colleges rank of #446 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Old Dominion is a great university overall.

There were roughly 204 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Old Dominion in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, biology degree recipients usually make an average of $28,135 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in general biology from Old Dominion University

Best General Biology Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best General Biology Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Georgia2873,494
Florida2826,422
North Carolina2793,663
Tennessee2691,542
South Carolina2481,775
Kentucky2441,140
Louisiana2421,529
Mississippi2341,380
Arkansas234891
Alabama2331,939
West Virginia207526

View All Rankings >

One of 14 majors within the Biological & Biomedical Sciences area of study, General Biology has other similar majors worth exploring.

Biology Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
Biology Studies2,889
General Biomedical Sciences346

View All Biology Concentrations >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Neurobiology & Neurosciences421
Physiology & Pathology Sciences332
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology258
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other)163
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics106
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology64
Biotechnology43
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology39
Zoology31
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences16

View All Biology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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