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2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s

76 Ranked Colleges
8,887 Degrees Awarded
$28,731 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor's

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 107,165 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, general biology is the 5th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, general biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,334 and had an average of $23,818 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 14,408 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,117 and $20,221 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,887 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,566 and $21,995 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 76 colleges that offered a degree in general biology. To top this list, a school must have a successful general biology program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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.

Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree biology students.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 749 students in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on General Biology at UC Irvine

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Riverside. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 618 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 91%.

Read more about General Biology at University of California - Riverside

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 515 students in 2020-2021.

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 full report on General Biology at University of California - Los Angeles

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 377 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 General Biology at University of California - Santa Barbara

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 364 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 General Biology at University of California - Davis

6

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. UC Merced is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 360 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 86%.

Full UC Merced General Biology Report

7
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #7, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 348 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full SFSU General Biology Report

8

California State University - Northridge landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 303 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge General Biology Report

9
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #9, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 282 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 2.2% 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%.

Read full report on General Biology at San Diego State University

10

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 268 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UCSD General Biology Report

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 265 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at California State University - Sacramento

12

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 247 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Read full report on General Biology at California State University - Long Beach

13

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 245 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2020-2021.

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 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Cal Poly Pomona

14

University of California - Berkeley ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 233 students in 2020-2021.

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.

Read full report on General Biology at UC Berkeley

15

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 204 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Biology at University of California - Santa Cruz

15

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 204 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 94%.

Read more about General Biology at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

17

California State University - San Marcos landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 183 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUSM General Biology Report

18

California State University - Fullerton came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 175 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read full report on General Biology at California State University - Fullerton

19
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 171 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on General Biology at San Jose State University

20

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Channel Islands did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Camarillo, California, and it awarded 147 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 General Biology at CSUCI

21

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 141 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno State General Biology Report

22
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 129 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about General Biology at Humboldt State University

23

With a ranking of #23, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 125 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full CSUSB General Biology Report

24

With a ranking of #24, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 122 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles General Biology Report

25
Pacific crest
University of the Pacific
Stockton, California

University of the Pacific ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Biology Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 118 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 87%.

Read more about General Biology at Pacific

Notes and References

References

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