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2024 Best General Biology Schools

856 Colleges in the United States
107,165 Biology Degrees Awarded
$28,334 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #5 in popularity, general biology is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 856 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for general biology students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 107,165 degrees in general biology during the 2020-2021 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great General Biology School

Best General Biology Schools The biology program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for General Biology rankings. We derive our Best Overall General Biology School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

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

General Biology Rankings by Degree Level

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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best General Biology Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to 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.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for General Biology in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the biology degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Biology

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In MA
86 Biology Degrees Awarded

Harvard University is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in general biology. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were roughly 86 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general biology from Harvard University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Biology Degrees Awarded
$71,984 Median Starting Salary

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in general biology. MIT is a large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Cambridge. A Best Colleges rank of #1 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means MIT is a great school overall.

There were approximately 64 general biology students who graduated with this degree at MIT in the most recent data year. General Biology degree recipients from Massachusetts Institute of Technology earn a boost of around $43,650 over the typical earnings of general biology majors.

More information about a degree in general biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
158 Biology Degrees Awarded
$39,783 Median Starting Salary

University of Pennsylvania is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in general biology. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were roughly 158 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general biology major at University of Pennsylvania make $11,449 above the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of Pennsylvania

4
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
114 Biology Degrees Awarded
10.5% Growth in Graduates

Stanford University is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in general biology. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were approximately 114 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available. Those general biology students who get their degree from Stanford University earn $8,388 more than the typical biology graduate.

More information about a degree in general biology from Stanford University

5
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
87 Biology Degrees Awarded
31.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the remote town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 1st out of 17 schools for overall quality in the state of New Hampshire.

There were approximately 87 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent data year. Those general biology students who get their degree from Dartmouth College receive $8,436 more than the standard biology student.

More information about a degree in general biology from Dartmouth College

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
248 Biology Degrees Awarded
2.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 248 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general biology degree program at University of California - Berkeley make $7,960 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of California - Berkeley

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
134 Biology Degrees Awarded
$24,335 Median Starting Salary

UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were about 134 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the biology program make around $24,335 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of Chicago

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
532 Biology Degrees Awarded
$24,167 Median Starting Salary

UCLA is a very large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 6th out of 170 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 532 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the biology program state that they receive average early career earnings of $24,167.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of California - Los Angeles

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
315 Biology Degrees Awarded
3.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 143 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 315 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the biology program make an average of $29,066 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in general biology from Cornell University

10
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
224 Biology Degrees Awarded
2.7% Growth in Graduates

Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were approximately 224 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the biology program earn around $20,600 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in general biology from Duke University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
614 Biology Degrees Awarded
9.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were approximately 614 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the biology program make around $24,522 for their early career.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Biology Degrees Awarded
$43,799 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Worcester, WPI is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population. This school ranks 4th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were roughly 40 general biology students who graduated with this degree at WPI in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general biology major at Worcester Polytechnic Institute earn $15,465 above the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general biology from Worcester Polytechnic Institute

13
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
118 Biology Degrees Awarded
16.1% Growth in Graduates

Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Providence. A Best Colleges rank of #24 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Brown is a great university overall.

There were approximately 118 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, biology degree recipients generally earn around $29,535 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in general biology from Brown University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
21st Most Popular In NY
110 Biology Degrees Awarded

Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 110 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general biology from Columbia University in the City of New York

15
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
491 Biology Degrees Awarded
6.9% Growth in Graduates

UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the large city of Madison. This university ranks 1st out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were about 491 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Those general biology students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - Madison receive $2,579 more than the typical biology grad.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of Wisconsin - Madison

16
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
281 Biology Degrees Awarded
$37,231 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were roughly 281 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Tufts in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general biology degree program at Tufts University get $8,897 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general biology from Tufts University

17
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
137 Biology Degrees Awarded
$37,830 Median Starting Salary

WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 137 general biology students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year. Those general biology students who get their degree from Washington University in St Louis earn $9,496 more than the typical biology graduate.

More information about a degree in general biology from Washington University in St Louis

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Biology Degrees Awarded
$72,074 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were roughly 56 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Those general biology students who get their degree from Johns Hopkins University earn $43,741 more than the average biology student.

More information about a degree in general biology from Johns Hopkins University

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
853 Biology Degrees Awarded
$38,545 Median Starting Salary

Texas A&M College Station is a very large public university located in the midsize city of College Station. This university ranks 3rd out of 116 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 853 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent year we have data available. General Biology degree recipients from Texas A&M University - College Station earn a boost of around $10,211 above the typical earnings of general biology majors.

More information about a degree in general biology from Texas A&M University - College Station

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
251 Biology Degrees Awarded
45.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 250.99999999999997 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general biology major at Purdue University - Main Campus make $14,698 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Biology Degrees Awarded
8.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #12 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 86 general biology students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the biology program earn about $24,988 for their early career.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of Southern California

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
361 Biology Degrees Awarded
$30,340 Median Starting Salary

UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the city of Minneapolis. This university ranks 1st out of 55 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 361 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. General Biology degree recipients from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn a boost of about $2,006 over the typical earnings of general biology majors.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
495 Biology Degrees Awarded
$27,470 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 96 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were approximately 495 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the biology program state that they receive average early career income of $27,470.

More information about a degree in general biology from Ohio State University - Main Campus

24
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
239 Biology Degrees Awarded
8.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. This college ranks 8th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 239 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general biology major at Boston College earn $10,275 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general biology from Boston College

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
182 Biology Degrees Awarded
3.8% Growth in Graduates

UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the large city of Seattle. This university ranks 1st out of 51 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were about 182 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general biology major at University of Washington - Seattle Campus get $4,028 more than the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

Rest of the Top 50 Best General Biology Schools

25
26
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
27
28
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
29
30
31

32

33
34
35
36
37
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
38
39
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
40

41

42
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
43
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, MA
44
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
45
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
46
47
48
Bowdoin crest
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME
49
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA

Additional Award Winners

This list shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Best General Biology Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 856 different United States general biology schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA
51 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
52 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
53 Auburn University Auburn, AL
54 George Washington University Washington, DC
55 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
56 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
57 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
58 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
59 University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester Worcester, MA
60 Clemson University Clemson, SC
61 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
62 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
63 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
64 University of Georgia Athens, GA
65 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
66 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
67 Boston University Boston, MA
68 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN
69 University of Delaware Newark, DE
70 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
71 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
72 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
73 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
74 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
75 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
76 University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA
77 Providence College Providence, RI
78 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
79 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
80 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
81 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
82 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
83 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
84 Baylor University Waco, TX
85 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
86 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
87 Washington State University Pullman, WA
88 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
89 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
90 Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Atlanta, GA
91 Iowa State University Ames, IA
92 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
93 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
94 University of Houston Houston, TX
95 University of Denver Denver, CO
96 The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Houston, TX
97 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
98 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
99 Carleton College Northfield, MN
100 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
101 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
102 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
103 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
104 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
105 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
106 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
107 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
108 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
109 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
110 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
111 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
112 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
113 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
114 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
115 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY
116 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
117 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD
118 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
119 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
120 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
121 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
122 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL
123 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
124 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
125 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
126 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
127 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
128 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for General Biology students that almost earned our Best General Biology Schools award.

Rank College Location
129 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
130 Florida International University Miami, FL
131 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
132 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
133 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
134 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
135 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
136 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
137 Haverford College Haverford, PA
138 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
139 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
140 Emmanuel College Massachusetts Boston, MA
141 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
142 University of North Texas Denton, TX
143 Illinois State University Normal, IL
144 Denison University Granville, OH
145 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
146 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
147 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
148 Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS
149 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
150 University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth, TX
151 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
152 University of California - Merced Merced, CA
153 Towson University Towson, MD
154 University of Portland Portland, OR
155 Ursinus College Collegeville, PA
156 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
157 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
158 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
159 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
160 Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH
161 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
162 University of Vermont Burlington, VT
163 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
164 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
165 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
166 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
167 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
168 Bates College Lewiston, ME
169 Stonehill College Easton, MA
170 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
171 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO

General Biology by Region

View the Best General Biology Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

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

Biology Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Biology Studies 95,999
General Biomedical Sciences 11,166

View All Biology Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Biology

Related Major Annual Graduates
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology 14,535
Neurobiology & Neurosciences 11,615
Physiology & Pathology Sciences 8,813
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology 7,247
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences 6,206
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology 4,566
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other) 4,420
Biotechnology 3,911
Zoology 2,984
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics 2,957

View All Biology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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