College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best General Biology Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

50 Colleges in California
8,887 Bachelor's Degrees
$28,731 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #4 in popularity, general biology is one of the most sought-after bachelor's degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 50 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best General Biology Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 8,887 bachelor's degrees in general biology during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

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

Best General Biology Bachelor's Degree Schools in California The biology bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality biology program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best General Biology Bachelor's Degree Schools in California list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study General Biology in California

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for general biology students seeking a a bachelor's degree.

10 Top California Schools for a Bachelor's in Biology

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA

Stanford University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in general biology. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the general biology program at Stanford University get $7,991 above the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

2
515 Annual Graduates
$24,167 Median Starting Salary
$16,028 Median Student Debt

It is difficult to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in general biology. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the biology program make an average of $24,167 in the first couple years of working.

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

3
233 Annual Graduates
$36,294 Median Starting Salary
$14,000 Median Student Debt

It is hard to beat University of California - Berkeley if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in general biology. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Those general biology students who get their bachelor's degree from University of California - Berkeley earn $7,563 more than the typical biology student.

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

4
70 Annual Graduates
$24,988 Median Starting Salary
$5,500 Median Student Debt

University of Southern California is a great decision for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in general biology. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the biology program make an average of $24,988 for their early career.

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

5
268 Annual Graduates
$26,086 Median Starting Salary
$17,667 Median Student Debt

Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the biology program earn around $26,086 in the first couple years of working.

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

6
377 Annual Graduates
$30,350 Median Starting Salary
$14,586 Median Student Debt

UCSB is a very large public university located in the suburb of Santa Barbara.

After graduating, biology bachelor's recipients usually make about $30,350 in their early careers.

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

7
364 Annual Graduates
$28,791 Median Starting Salary
$13,000 Median Student Debt

UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Davis.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the biology program state that they receive average early career earnings of $28,791.

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

8
348 Annual Graduates
$38,903 Median Starting Salary
$15,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a very large student population.

Those general biology students who get their bachelor's degree from San Francisco State University receive $10,172 more than the standard biology graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from San Francisco State University

9
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
67 Annual Graduates
$36,629 Median Starting Salary
$19,941 Median Student Debt

SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara.

Bachelor's recipients from the general biology degree program at Santa Clara University earn $7,898 above the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

10
282 Annual Graduates
$33,006 Median Starting Salary
$17,998 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Those general biology students who get their bachelor's degree from San Diego State University earn $4,275 more than the standard biology graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from San Diego State University

Best General Biology Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best General Biology Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 226 1,235
Oregon 185 909
Nevada 129 484
Hawaii 112 248
Alaska 75 80

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 8,708
General Biomedical Sciences 179

Related Major Annual Graduates
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences 2,077
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology 1,869
Neurobiology & Neurosciences 1,408
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology 519
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology 508
Physiology & Pathology Sciences 442
Zoology 164
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics 162
Biotechnology 148
Genetics 103

Notes and References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options