College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Molecular Biology (Income $0-$30k)

56 Ranked Colleges
1,394 Degrees Awarded
$9,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 1,394 people earned their degree in molecular biology, making the major the 356th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 56 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in molecular biology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent molecular biology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the molecular biology program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Molecular Biology Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Molecular Biology (Income $0-$30k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $371 for Molecular Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Molecular Biology at Duke University

2
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Princeton University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Princeton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s molecular biology degrees to 88 students in 2020-2021.

Princeton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Princeton is $2,958 for molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Molecular Biology at Princeton University

3
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s molecular biology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $2,084 for molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Molecular Biology at Johns Hopkins

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 26 ’s molecular biology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for Molecular Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Molecular Biology at University of Wisconsin - Madison

5

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 228 ’s molecular biology degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #11 spot in our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $2,670 for Molecular Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Molecular Biology at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

6
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 41 ’s molecular biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” list. It costs about $3,176 for Molecular Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Vanderbilt Molecular Biology Report

7
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cornell has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $5,244 for Molecular Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Molecular Biology at Cornell

8

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s molecular biology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,037 for Molecular Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Molecular Biology at University of California - Los Angeles

9

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified ’s molecular biology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $7,698 for molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Molecular Biology at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

10

With a ranking of #10, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s molecular biology degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,823 for molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSD.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of California - San Diego Molecular Biology Report

11
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Boston U is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 67 ’s molecular biology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Boston U has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston U is $12,982 for Molecular Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Boston U Molecular Biology Report

12

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. ASU - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 24 ’s molecular biology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $8,969 for molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Molecular Biology at Arizona State University - Tempe

13
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Colgate University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Hamilton, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 31 degrees to qualified ’s molecular biology students in 2020-2021.

Colgate did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colgate is $10,762 for molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Colgate University Molecular Biology Report

14

Brigham Young University - Provo came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 20 ’s molecular biology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, BYU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $9,445 for Molecular Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full BYU Molecular Biology Report

15
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Lehigh University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Lehigh University is a medium-sized school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that handed out 21 ’s molecular biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Lehigh did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Lehigh is $15,561 for molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Molecular Biology at Lehigh University

16
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 5 ’s molecular biology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,554 for Molecular Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Iowa Molecular Biology Report

17
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Kansas is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 17 ’s molecular biology degrees in 2020-2021.

KU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kansas is $15,666 for molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Molecular Biology at KU

18
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

University of Wyoming landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW is a fairly large school located in Laramie, Wyoming that handed out 20 ’s molecular biology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wyoming is $6,905 for Molecular Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Molecular Biology Report

19
UVM crest
University of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont

University of Vermont ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Vermont is a public institution located in Burlington, Vermont. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UVM also took the #24 spot in our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,022 for molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UVM.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Molecular Biology at University of Vermont

20
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Stony Brook, New York, and it awarded 6 ’s molecular biology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,863 for molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SUNY Stony Brook.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Molecular Biology at Stony Brook University

21
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #21, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s molecular biology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,287 for Molecular Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Molecular Biology at University of Southern California

22
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana

DePauw University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. DePauw University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greencastle, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

DePauw not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for DePauw University is $19,503 for molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full DePauw Molecular Biology Report

23
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

With a ranking of #23, George Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s molecular biology degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, GWU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GWU is $17,673 for Molecular Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full GWU Molecular Biology Report

24
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s molecular biology degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

Rutgers New Brunswick also took the #23 spot in our “Best Molecular Biology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rutgers University - New Brunswick is $14,935 for molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Molecular Biology at Rutgers University - New Brunswick

25

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Molecular Biology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 10 ’s molecular biology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CU Anschutz is $10,404 for molecular biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Molecular Biology Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options