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2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid

834 Ranked Colleges
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Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

With 95,999 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, biology studies is the 6th most popular major in the United States.

For this year’s “Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 834 colleges that offer a degree in biology studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent biology studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the biology studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 “Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Biology Studies (With Aid)

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 612 ’s biological sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our biological sciences students with aid list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Biology Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $12,469 for biological sciences students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Biology Studies Report

2

Out of the 834 schools in the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #2 spot on the list. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biological sciences degrees to 529 students in 2020-2021.

UT Rio Grande Valley also claimed a top spot on our “Best Biology Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $3,743 for biological sciences students with aid per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at UT Rio Grande Valley

3
CCNY crest
The City College of New York
New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The City College of New York. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. CCNY is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 178 ’s biological sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,805 for Biological Sciences students with aid per year to attend CCNY.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Full CCNY Biology Studies Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biological sciences degrees to 182 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UW Seattle is in the top on our “Best Biology Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $12,017 for biological sciences students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 Biology Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

5
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 101 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Biology Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $12,894 for Biological Sciences students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Biology Studies at Stanford

6
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 144 ’s biological sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for Biological Sciences students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. 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 Biology Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus

7
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s biological sciences degrees to 48 students in 2020-2021.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Biology Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Harvard is $13,872 for biological sciences students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Biology Studies at Harvard

8

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 136 ’s biological sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $3,302 for Biological Sciences students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Biology Studies at Cal State LA

9
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 563 degrees to qualified ’s biological sciences students in 2020-2021.

UF excels when it comes to biological sciences quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $5,135 for biological sciences students with aid per year to attend University of Florida.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full UF Biology Studies Report

10

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 532 ’s biological sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also took the #14 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for Biological Sciences students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at UCLA

11

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biological sciences degrees to 591 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, USF Tampa is in the top on our “Best Biology Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $8,346 for Biological Sciences students with aid per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Biology Studies at USF Tampa

12
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #12, Massachusetts Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. MIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 64 ’s biological sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

MIT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Biology Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for MIT is $16,407 for Biological Sciences students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

13
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biological sciences degrees to 164 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,158 for Biological Sciences students with aid per year to attend Hunter College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Biology Studies at Hunter College

14
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. QC is a fairly large school located in Queens, New York that handed out 128 ’s biological sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Queens College is $3,469 for Biological Sciences students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Biology Studies at QC

15
ECSU crest
Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Elizabeth City State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Elizabeth City, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biological sciences degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,704 for biological sciences students with aid per year to attend ECSU.

Read full report on Biology Studies at Elizabeth City State University

16
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 57 degrees to qualified ’s biological sciences students in 2020-2021.

Williams also took the #11 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Williams College is $23,497 for Biological Sciences students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Williams College Biology Studies Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 491 ’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our biological sciences students with aid list, UW - Madison has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Biology Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for biological sciences students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Biology Studies Report

18

University of California - San Diego landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biological sciences degrees to 438 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UCSD also did well on our “Best Biology Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Biology Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for Biological Sciences students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Biology Studies at UCSD

19
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 342 ’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

Florida State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Biology Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $9,946 for biological sciences students with aid per year to attend Florida State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.

Full Florida State Biology Studies Report

20

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 264 ’s biological sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UW - La Crosse is in the top on our “Best Biology Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $14,654 for Biological Sciences students with aid per year to attend UW - La Crosse.

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

Read more about Biology Studies at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

21

Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in Rexburg, Idaho, and it awarded 106 ’s biological sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend BYU - I is $6,698 for biological sciences students with aid.

The undergrad 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 Biology Studies at BYU - I

22
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. FAU is located in Boca Raton, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 522 ’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, FAU also did well on our “Best Biology Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Florida Atlantic University is $10,735 for Biological Sciences students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 more about Biology Studies at FAU

23

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 152 degrees to qualified ’s biological sciences students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,230 for biological sciences students with aid per year to attend Fresno State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 more about Biology Studies at Fresno State

24

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. University of Central Florida is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 340 ’s biological sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UCF excels when it comes to biological sciences quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $8,618 for Biological Sciences students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Biology Studies at University of Central Florida

25

University of California - Berkeley landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 248 ’s biological sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,032 for Biological Sciences students with aid per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at UC Berkeley

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
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University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri
27
28
29
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
30
31
32
Reedley College crest
Reedley College
Reedley, California
33
34
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North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
35
36
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York
37
38
Berea crest
Berea College
Berea, Kentucky
39
40
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
41
42
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California
43
44
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York
45
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Baruch College
New York, New York
46
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
47
48
48
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Biological Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
52 Texas A&M International University Laredo, TX
53 San Diego Mesa College San Diego, CA
54 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
55 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
56 The University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
57 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
58 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
59 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
60 University of Georgia Athens, GA
60 California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson, CA
62 Iowa State University Ames, IA
63 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
64 California State University - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA
65 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
Rank College Location
66 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
67 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
68 Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ
69 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
70 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
71 University of Houston Houston, TX
72 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
72 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
74 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
75 Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL
76 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
77 University of Delaware Newark, DE
78 Farmingdale State College Farmingdale, NY
79 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
79 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
81 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
82 Mott Community College Flint, MI
83 San Diego City College San Diego, CA
84 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
85 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
86 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY
87 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
88 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
89 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
90 Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA
Rank College Location
91 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH
92 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
93 The University of Texas at Tyler Tyler, TX
94 University of North Texas Denton, TX
95 Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Atlanta, GA
96 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
97 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
98 University of New Mexico - Main Campus Albuquerque, NM
98 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
100 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
101 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
102 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
103 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA
104 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
105 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
106 University of Houston - Clear Lake Houston, TX
107 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
108 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
109 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
110 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
111 Portland State University Portland, OR
112 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
113 Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wesson, MS
114 Towson University Towson, MD
115 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
Rank College Location
116 New Mexico State University - Main Campus Las Cruces, NM
117 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
118 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
119 York College Jamaica, NY
120 Purdue University Northwest Hammond, IN
121 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
122 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
123 Duke University Durham, NC
124 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
125 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
126 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN

Notes and References

References

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