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2022 Best General Biology Bachelor's Degree Schools

953 Colleges in the United States
85,887 Bachelor's Degrees
$27,776 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a bachelor's degree in general biology, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #4 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 953 colleges and universities when compiling its 2022 Best General Biology Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 85,887 bachelor's degrees in general biology to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great General Biology School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best General Biology Bachelor's Degree Schools Your choice of general biology for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

  • Major Focus - How much a school focuses on general biology students vs. other majors.
  • Major Demand - The number of general biology students who choose to seek a bachelor's degree at the school.
  • Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
  • Student Debt - How much debt general biology students go into to obtain their bachelor's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
  • Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized general biology related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for general biology students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank General Biology Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Biology Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The biology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best General Biology Bachelor's Degree Schools.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study General Biology in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in general biology. 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 for a Bachelor's in Biology

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, CA
63 Annual Graduates
$35,900 Median Starting Salary
$12,268 Median Student Debt

Stanford University is a good option for students interested in a bachelor's degree in general biology. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford.

General Biology bachelor's degree recipients from Stanford University get an earnings boost of around $8,124 over the typical earnings of general biology graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Stanford University

#2

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA
35 Annual Graduates
$36,700 Median Starting Salary
$14,482 Median Student Debt

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in general biology. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, MIT is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the general biology degree program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology make $8,924 more than the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA
161 Annual Graduates
$34,900 Median Starting Salary
$19,425 Median Student Debt

University of Pennsylvania is a wonderful option for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in general biology. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

General Biology bachelor's degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania receive an earnings boost of about $7,124 above the typical income of general biology graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from University of Pennsylvania

#4

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, ME
29 Annual Graduates

Bowdoin College is a wonderful decision for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in general biology. Bowdoin is a small private not-for-profit college located in the fringe town of Brunswick.More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Bowdoin College

#5

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH
53 Annual Graduates
$42,600 Median Starting Salary
$7,547 Median Student Debt

Dartmouth is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the town of Hanover.

General Biology bachelor's degree recipients from Dartmouth College get an earnings boost of approximately $14,824 over the average earnings of general biology graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Dartmouth College

#6

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL
147 Annual Graduates
$31,100 Median Starting Salary
$18,294 Median Student Debt

Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Those general biology students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Chicago earn $3,324 more than the typical biology graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from University of Chicago

#7

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA
39 Annual Graduates
$37,400 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

WPI is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Worcester.

Those general biology students who get their bachelor's degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute receive $9,624 more than the typical biology graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Worcester Polytechnic Institute

#8

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY
294 Annual Graduates
$32,800 Median Starting Salary
$13,150 Median Student Debt

Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca.

General Biology bachelor's degree recipients from Cornell University get an earnings boost of around $5,024 over the typical income of general biology graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Cornell University

#9

Scripps College

Claremont, CA
11 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Claremont, Scripps is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Scripps College

#10

Brown University

Providence, RI
93 Annual Graduates
$30,500 Median Starting Salary
$13,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the midsize city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the general biology degree program at Brown University make $2,724 above the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Brown University

#11

Haverford College

Haverford, PA
33 Annual Graduates

Haverford is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Haverford.More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Haverford College

#12

Tufts University

Medford, MA
152 Annual Graduates
$36,300 Median Starting Salary
$16,250 Median Student Debt

Tufts is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Medford.

Those general biology students who get their bachelor's degree from Tufts University make $8,524 more than the standard biology grad.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Tufts University

#13

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, CA
233 Annual Graduates
$33,100 Median Starting Salary
$17,259 Median Student Debt

UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley.

Bachelor's recipients from the general biology major at University of California - Berkeley get $5,324 above the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from University of California - Berkeley

#14

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, VA
38 Annual Graduates
$37,900 Median Starting Salary
$23,250 Median Student Debt

Located in the distant town of Lexington, VMI is a public school with a small student population.

General Biology bachelor's degree recipients from Virginia Military Institute receive an earnings boost of around $10,124 over the typical earnings of general biology graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Virginia Military Institute

#15

University of the Sciences

Philadelphia, PA
70 Annual Graduates
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Philadelphia, USciences is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from University of the Sciences

#16

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY
68 Annual Graduates
$39,400 Median Starting Salary
$21,146 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

General Biology bachelor's degree recipients from Columbia University in the City of New York earn a boost of around $11,624 over the typical earnings of general biology graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Columbia University in the City of New York

#17

Duke University

Durham, NC
165 Annual Graduates
$34,300 Median Starting Salary
$7,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Those general biology students who get their bachelor's degree from Duke University make $6,524 more than the typical biology graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Duke University

#18

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, WI
262 Annual Graduates
$32,600 Median Starting Salary
$23,063 Median Student Debt

Located in the small city of La Crosse, UW - La Crosse is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the general biology degree program at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse earn $4,824 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

#19

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA
213 Annual Graduates
$34,700 Median Starting Salary
$16,500 Median Student Debt

Boston College is a large private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Chestnut Hill.

Those general biology students who get their bachelor's degree from Boston College earn $6,924 more than the standard biology graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Boston College

#20

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX
628 Annual Graduates
$29,100 Median Starting Salary
$20,999 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Soon after graduating, biology bachelor's recipients typically earn about $29,100 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from The University of Texas at Austin

#21

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA
53 Annual Graduates
$39,100 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Holy Cross is a small private not-for-profit college located in the midsize city of Worcester.

Bachelor's recipients from the general biology degree program at College of the Holy Cross get $11,324 above the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from College of the Holy Cross

#22

Georgetown University

Washington, DC
66 Annual Graduates
$37,000 Median Starting Salary
$15,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

General Biology bachelor's degree recipients from Georgetown University receive an earnings boost of approximately $9,224 over the typical income of general biology graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Georgetown University

#23

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA
70 Annual Graduates
$38,100 Median Starting Salary
$24,499 Median Student Debt

Located in the midsize city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.

Those general biology students who get their bachelor's degree from Santa Clara University make $10,324 more than the average biology graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Santa Clara University

#24

Boston University

Boston, MA
128 Annual Graduates
$31,600 Median Starting Salary
$26,515 Median Student Debt

Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston.

General Biology bachelor's degree recipients from Boston University receive an earnings boost of about $3,824 over the typical income of general biology majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Boston University

#25

Northeastern University

Boston, MA
101 Annual Graduates
$38,100 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Northeastern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston.

Those general biology students who get their bachelor's degree from Northeastern University earn $10,324 more than the average biology student.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Northeastern University

Rest of the Top 50 Best General Biology Bachelor's Degree Schools

#25

Northeastern University

Boston, MA
#26

Saint Anselm College

Manchester, NH
#27

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA
#28

Williams College

Williamstown, MA
#29

Trinity College

Hartford, CT
#30

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI
#31

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC

#32

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA

#33

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA
#34

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA
#35

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN
#36

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL
#37

Grinnell College

Grinnell, IA
#38

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY
#39

Providence College

Providence, RI
#40

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA

#41

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN

#42

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA
#43

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY
#44

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, PA
#45

Brandeis University

Waltham, MA
#46

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC
#47

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA
#48

Elon University

Elon, NC
#49

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA

Remaining Award Winners

This section shows the remainder of the schools awarded a Best General Biology Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 953 different United States general biology schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 Stonehill College Easton, MA
51 Amherst College Amherst, MA
52 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD
53 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
54 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
55 Colby College Waterville, ME
56 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
57 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
58 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
59 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
60 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
61 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
62 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
63 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
64 Carleton College Northfield, MN
65 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
66 University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, MI
67 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA
68 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
69 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
70 College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN
71 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
72 Denison University Granville, OH
73 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
74 University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA
75 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
76 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
77 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
78 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
79 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
80 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
81 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
82 Ursinus College Collegeville, PA
83 Ohio Northern University Ada, OH
84 Winona State University Winona, MN
85 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
86 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
87 Emmanuel College Massachusetts Boston, MA
88 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
89 John Carroll University University Heights, OH
90 Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO
91 Auburn University Auburn, AL
92 Lafayette College Easton, PA
93 Connecticut College New London, CT
94 Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA
95 University of Delaware Newark, DE
96 University of New Hampshire at Manchester Manchester, NH
97 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
98 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
99 Assumption University Worcester, MA
100 Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO
101 Augustana University Sioux Falls, SD
102 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
103 DeSales University Center Valley, PA
104 Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC
105 University of California - Merced Merced, CA
106 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
107 Emory University Atlanta, GA
108 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
109 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
110 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
111 Juniata College Huntingdon, PA
112 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA
113 University of New Haven West Haven, CT
114 Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL
115 University of Redlands Redlands, CA
116 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
117 Saint Michael’s College Colchester, VT
118 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
119 Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Atlanta, GA
120 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY
121 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
122 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
123 George Washington University Washington, DC
124 SUNY Cortland Cortland, NY
125 Union College New York Schenectady, NY
126 Dominican University of California San Rafael, CA
127 Augustana College Rock Island, IL
128 Clark University Worcester, MA
129 Towson University Towson, MD
130 Rowan University Glassboro, NJ
131 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
132 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
133 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
134 Merrimack College North Andover, MA
135 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA
136 Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN
137 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
138 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
139 Bates College Lewiston, ME
140 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
141 SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY
142 Eastern Connecticut State University Willimantic, CT

Additional Noteworthy Schools

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

Rank College Location
143 Fairfield University Fairfield, CT
144 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA
145 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
146 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
147 York College of Pennsylvania York, PA
148 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
149 Hampton University Hampton, VA
150 Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown, PA
151 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
152 Carroll University Waukesha, WI
153 Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, MA
154 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
155 Clemson University Clemson, SC
156 Maryville University of Saint Louis Saint Louis, MO
157 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
158 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
159 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
160 Ithaca College Ithaca, NY
161 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
162 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
163 University of Georgia Athens, GA
164 University of Vermont Burlington, VT
165 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
166 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
167 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
168 Iowa State University Ames, IA
169 American University Washington, DC
170 Villanova University Villanova, PA
171 Illinois State University Normal, IL
172 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
173 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
174 Smith College Northampton, MA
175 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
176 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
177 University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA
178 University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI
179 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
180 Presbyterian College Clinton, SC
181 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
182 Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI
183 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
184 Worcester State University Worcester, MA
185 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
186 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
187 University of New England Biddeford, ME
188 Drake University Des Moines, IA
189 Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT
190 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX

General Biology by Region

View the Best General Biology Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

General Biology is one of 14 different types of Biological & Biomedical Sciences programs to choose from.

Biology Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Biology Studies 80,153
General Biomedical Sciences 5,734

Related Major Annual Graduates
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology 12,327
Neurobiology & Neurosciences 9,345
Physiology & Pathology Sciences 5,772
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences 4,513
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology 4,076
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology 3,260
Zoology 2,573
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other) 1,630
Biotechnology 975
Genetics 685

Notes and References

  • The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
  • 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 the rest 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). More about our data sources and methodologies.

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