College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

34 Ranked Colleges
2,064 Degrees Awarded
$13,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 14,535 people earned their degree in biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, making the major the 64th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $32,891 and had an average of $21,836 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 2,064 biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,889 and $17,960 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 34 colleges that offer a degree in biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology in California (With Aid)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 26 ’s biochemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $12,894 for California Biochemistry students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford University Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Report

2

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 59 ’s biochemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california biochemistry students with aid list, Cal State LA has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $3,302 for california biochemistry students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at Cal State LA

3

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 269 ’s biochemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,023 for California Biochemistry students with aid per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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.

Read full report on Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at University of California - Los Angeles

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 347 ’s biochemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for California Biochemistry students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at UCSD

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biochemistry degrees to 229 students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $15,768 for california biochemistry students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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%.

Full University of California - Davis Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Report

6

California State University - Long Beach landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 90 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for California Biochemistry students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSULB Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Report

7

University of California - Berkeley came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s biochemistry degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for california biochemistry students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 University of California - Berkeley Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Report

8

California State University - Fresno ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s biochemistry degrees to qualified students.

Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $6,230 for California Biochemistry students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno State Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Report

9

University of California - Irvine came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 46 ’s biochemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,209 for california biochemistry students with aid per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at UC Irvine

10

University of California - Riverside landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 193 ’s biochemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $11,822 for California Biochemistry students with aid.

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 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at UCR

11

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 70 degrees to qualified ’s biochemistry students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $16,252 for california biochemistry students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at University of California - Santa Barbara

12

California State University - Fullerton came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biochemistry degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for California Biochemistry students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 California State University - Fullerton Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Report

13

California State University - San Marcos came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - San Marcos is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s biochemistry degrees to qualified students.

CSUSM also took the #15 spot in our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $13,218 for california biochemistry students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 more about Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at CSUSM

14

California State University - Sacramento landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 30 degrees to qualified ’s biochemistry students in 2020-2021.

Sac State also made our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $11,178 for California Biochemistry students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at Sac State

15

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school handed out 16 degrees to qualified ’s biochemistry students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $7,454 for California Biochemistry students with aid.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Report

16

California State University - Northridge ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 34 ’s biochemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,523 for California Biochemistry students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Read more about Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at CSUN

17

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 8 ’s biochemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $4,026 for California Biochemistry students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at CSUDH

18

California State University - East Bay ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s biochemistry degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $13,298 for California Biochemistry students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at California State University - East Bay

19
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 58 ’s biochemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california biochemistry students with aid list, SFSU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $14,459 for California Biochemistry students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at San Francisco State University

20

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biochemistry degrees to 70 students in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #14 spot in our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $17,930 for California Biochemistry students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at University of California - Santa Cruz

21

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biochemistry degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” list. It costs about $20,677 for california biochemistry students with aid per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

22

California State University - Chico came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified ’s biochemistry students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $16,218 for california biochemistry students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Read more about Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at Chico State

23
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Rohnert Park, California, and it awarded 5 ’s biochemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,563 for California Biochemistry students with aid per year to attend SSU.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SSU Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Report

24
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 57 ’s biochemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california biochemistry students with aid list, USC has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $32,569 for california biochemistry students with aid per year to attend USC.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 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%.

Read full report on Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at University of Southern California

25
Whittier crest
Whittier College
Whittier, California

Whittier College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Biochemistry Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Whittier, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s biochemistry degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Whittier, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Whittier College is $26,740 for California Biochemistry students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at Whittier

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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