Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

67 Ranked Colleges
3,559 Degrees Awarded
$13,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania 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 Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 102,043 general biology students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, general biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $28,233 and had an average of $23,964 in loans still to pay off.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 4,062 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,726 and $27,794 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,559 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 67 colleges that offer a degree in general biology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general biology programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general 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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Biology (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 67 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 161 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $3,181 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at University of Pennsylvania

#2

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Swarthmore College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Swarthmore College is a small school located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania that handed out 39 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Swarthmore did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Swarthmore is $5,860 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Swarthmore College General Biology Report

#3

Haverford College

Haverford, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Haverford College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. Haverford is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It awarded 33 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Haverford also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $6,582 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Haverford.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at Haverford

#4

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lafayette College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Easton, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 34 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lafayette, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lafayette is $6,934 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on General Biology at Lafayette College

#5

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Out of the 67 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Gettysburg College landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Gettysburg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Gettysburg College is $11,244 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Gettysburg College General Biology Report

#6

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Franklin and Marshall College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Franklin and Marshall also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $11,503 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Franklin and Marshall College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Franklin and Marshall General Biology Report

#7

Dickinson College

Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Dickinson College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Dickinson is a private not-for-profit institution located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Dickinson has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dickinson College is $11,046 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive 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.

Read full report on General Biology at Dickinson College

#8

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Lehigh University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 46 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

Lehigh also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $14,080 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lehigh.

The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on General Biology at Lehigh

#9

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg

Greensburg, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg is a small public school situated in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 37 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg is $13,700 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg

#10

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. SRU is a public institution located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SRU also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for SRU is $14,088 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SRU General Biology Report

#11

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #11, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mansfield, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,083 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.

Read more about General Biology at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

#12

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Johnstown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,112 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Pitt Johnstown

#13

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

Bradford, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bradford, Pennsylvania, this small public school handed out 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Pittsburgh - Bradford is $14,937 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 University of Pittsburgh - Bradford General Biology Report

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this large public school handed out 289 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

Pitt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Pitt is $20,075 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Biology at Pitt

#15

Juniata College

Huntingdon, Pennsylvania

Juniata College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Juniata is located in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

Juniata did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $16,815 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Juniata College.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Juniata College

#16

Saint Vincent College

Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Saint Vincent College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 25 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

Saint Vincent not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Vincent is $14,691 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Saint Vincent

#17

Lycoming College

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Lycoming College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lycoming is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Lycoming College is $13,906 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Biology at Lycoming College

#18

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #18, West Chester University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a fairly large public school situated in West Chester, Pennsylvania. It awarded 103 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

WCUPA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for West Chester University of Pennsylvania is $16,531 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, 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 85%.

Full West Chester University of Pennsylvania General Biology Report

#19

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania

York College of Pennsylvania landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. YCP is a small school located in York, Pennsylvania that handed out 47 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at YCP, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend YCP is $16,618 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at York College of Pennsylvania

#20

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 29 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,542 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 more about General Biology at Carnegie Mellon University

#21

Carlow University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carlow University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Carlow is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

Carlow also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Carlow University is $16,666 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Carlow University General Biology Report

#22

Albright College

Reading, Pennsylvania

Albright College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Reading, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Albright College is $15,077 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Biology at Albright

#23

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, Pennsylvania

Millersville University of Pennsylvania came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Millersville, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 90 students in 2019-2020.

Millersville also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $16,878 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Millersville.

Read full report on General Biology at Millersville University of Pennsylvania

#24

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

Elizabethtown College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Elizabethtown College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Etown also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $19,191 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Elizabethtown College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Etown

#25

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, this small public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is $13,169 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Biology at Edinboro

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Featured Biology Schools

Find Schools Near You