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2025 Best General Biology Bachelor's Degree Schools

883 Colleges in the United States
85,460 Bachelor's Degrees
$32,226 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 883 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best General Biology Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 85,460 bachelor's degrees in general biology during the <nil> academic year.

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:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges 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 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools for a Bachelor's in Biology

1
544 Annual Graduates
$33,471 Median Starting Salary
$24,010 Median Student Debt

Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in general biology needs to check out University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill.

Soon after graduating, biology bachelor's recipients typically make around $33,471 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2
137 Annual Graduates
$45,494 Median Starting Salary
$43,257 Median Student Debt

Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in general biology has to take a look at Northeastern University. Northeastern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston.

Those general biology students who get their bachelor's degree from Northeastern University make $13,268 more than the standard biology student.

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

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

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

Soon after graduating, biology bachelor's recipients typically make about $31,055 at the beginning of their careers.

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

4
332 Annual Graduates
$36,136 Median Starting Salary
$25,819 Median Student Debt

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in general biology. Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the general biology major at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities make $3,910 more than the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

5
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA

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

Bachelor's recipients from the general biology major at Tufts University make $6,790 more than the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

6
254 Annual Graduates
$34,500 Median Starting Salary
$52,510 Median Student Debt

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

General Biology bachelor's degree recipients from Cornell University get an earnings boost of around $2,274 over the average income of general biology graduates.

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

7
359 Annual Graduates
$28,242 Median Starting Salary
$27,284 Median Student Debt

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population.

Soon after graduating, biology bachelor's recipients typically make an average of $28,242 in their early careers.

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

8
181 Annual Graduates
$45,346 Median Starting Salary
$26,860 Median Student Debt

UNH is a large public university located in the fringe town of Durham.

Those general biology students who get their bachelor's degree from University of New Hampshire - Main Campus earn $13,120 more than the standard biology student.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from University of New Hampshire - Main Campus

9
854 Annual Graduates
$29,028 Median Starting Salary
$31,848 Median Student Debt

Located in the midsize city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a very large student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the biology program make about $29,028 for their early career.

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

10
316 Annual Graduates
$34,504 Median Starting Salary
$23,455 Median Student Debt

UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the large city of La Jolla.

General Biology bachelor's degree recipients from University of California - San Diego earn a boost of approximately $2,278 over the average earnings of general biology graduates.

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

11
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
169 Annual Graduates
$30,939 Median Starting Salary
$51,055 Median Student Debt

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

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the biology program report average early career income of $30,939.

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

12
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
220 Annual Graduates
$38,592 Median Starting Salary
$55,959 Median Student Debt

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

General Biology bachelor's degree recipients from Boston College receive an earnings boost of approximately $6,366 above the typical earnings of general biology majors.

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

13
198 Annual Graduates
$38,716 Median Starting Salary
$23,973 Median Student Debt

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

General Biology bachelor's degree recipients from University of Washington - Seattle Campus earn a boost of approximately $6,490 over the average earnings of general biology graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

14
168 Annual Graduates
$36,642 Median Starting Salary
$43,163 Median Student Debt

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

Bachelor's recipients from the general biology major at University of California - Berkeley make $4,416 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

15
486 Annual Graduates
$32,356 Median Starting Salary
$39,035 Median Student Debt

Ohio State is a very large public university located in the large city of Columbus.

Soon after graduating, biology bachelor's recipients generally earn an average of $32,356 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Ohio State University - Main Campus

16
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
516 Annual Graduates
$26,435 Median Starting Salary
$50,373 Median Student Debt

Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population.

Soon after graduating, biology bachelor's recipients generally make around $26,435 in the first five years of their career.

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

17
440 Annual Graduates
$35,798 Median Starting Salary
$37,524 Median Student Debt

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

Bachelor's recipients from the general biology degree program at University of Wisconsin - Madison get $3,572 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

18
308 Annual Graduates
$33,576 Median Starting Salary
$44,000 Median Student Debt

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

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the biology program make an average of $33,576 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

19
165 Annual Graduates
$33,189 Median Starting Salary
$43,961 Median Student Debt

Located in the town of Storrs, UCONN is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the biology program report average early career wages of $33,189.

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

20
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH

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

Those general biology students who get their bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College earn $4,299 more than the typical biology graduate.

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

21

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

Bachelor's recipients from the general biology degree program at University of Chicago get $3,049 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

22
436 Annual Graduates
$36,157 Median Starting Salary
$32,300 Median Student Debt

NC State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Raleigh.

General Biology bachelor's degree recipients from North Carolina State University earn a boost of about $3,931 over the typical earnings of general biology majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from North Carolina State University

23
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
153 Annual Graduates
$40,165 Median Starting Salary
$92,828 Median Student Debt

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

General Biology bachelor's degree recipients from Boston University get an earnings boost of around $7,939 above the average income of general biology majors.

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

24
135 Annual Graduates

Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston.More information about a bachelor’s in general biology from Northwestern University

25
230 Annual Graduates
$34,390 Median Starting Salary
$42,672 Median Student Debt

Located in the medium-sized city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the general biology major at University of Rochester earn $2,164 above the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

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

26
27
28
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
29
30
31
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
32
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA

33
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY

34
35
36
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, AL
37
38
39
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
40
41

42
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, SC

43
44
45
46
47
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
48
49
50
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC

Remaining Award Winners

This list shows the remainder of the schools awarded a Best General Biology Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 20% of the 883 different United States general biology schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
52 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
53 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
54 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
55 Emory University Atlanta, GA
56 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
57 Iowa State University Ames, IA
58 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
59 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
60 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
61 Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO
62 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
63 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD
64 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
65 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
66 George Washington University Washington, DC
67 University of Georgia Athens, GA
68 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
69 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
70 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
71 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
72 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
73 Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA
74 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
75 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
76 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
77 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
78 Providence College Providence, RI
79 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
80 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
81 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
82 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
83 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
84 Baylor University Waco, TX
85 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
86 Villanova University Villanova, PA
87 Washington State University Pullman, WA
88 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
89 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
90 University at Albany Albany, NY
91 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
92 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
93 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
94 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
95 University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA
96 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
97 Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN
98 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
99 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
100 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
101 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN
102 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
103 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL
104 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
105 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
106 Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ
107 University of Denver Denver, CO
108 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA
109 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
110 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
111 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
112 University of California - Merced Merced, CA
113 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
114 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
115 University of Vermont Burlington, VT
116 St John’s University - New York Queens, NY
117 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
118 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME
119 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
120 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
121 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA
122 Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ
123 Barnard College New York, NY
124 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
125 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD
126 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
127 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
128 Rowan University Glassboro, NJ
129 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
130 Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT
131 Florida International University Miami, FL
132 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
133 University of the Pacific Stockton, CA
134 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY
135 Illinois State University Normal, IL
136 University of North Texas Denton, TX
137 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
138 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
139 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
140 Towson University Towson, MD
141 Clark University Worcester, MA
142 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
143 Trinity College Hartford, CT
144 Lafayette College Easton, PA
145 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
146 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
147 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
148 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
149 Fairfield University Fairfield, CT
150 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
151 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
152 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
153 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
154 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
155 Bates College Lewiston, ME
156 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
157 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
158 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
159 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
160 Fordham University Bronx, NY
161 SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY
162 Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia, PA
163 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
164 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
165 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
166 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA
167 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
168 Williams College Williamstown, MA
169 University of New Hampshire at Manchester Manchester, NH
170 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
171 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
172 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
173 University of Houston Houston, TX
174 Montana State University Bozeman, MT
175 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
176 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT

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
177 Ball State University Muncie, IN
178 Augustana College Rock Island, IL
179 University of Portland Portland, OR
180 University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD
181 Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH
182 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA
183 Creighton University Omaha, NE
184 Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS
185 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
186 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
187 Portland State University Portland, OR
188 Le Moyne College Syracuse, NY
189 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
190 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
191 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
192 University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA
193 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
194 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
195 Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
196 William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
197 Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Atlanta, GA
198 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
199 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
200 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
201 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
202 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
203 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
204 The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX
205 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
206 Rice University Houston, TX
207 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
208 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
209 Emmanuel College Massachusetts Boston, MA
210 Union College New York Schenectady, NY
211 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
212 Carleton College Northfield, MN
213 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
214 Clarkson University Potsdam, NY
215 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
216 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
217 Radford University Radford, VA
218 The City College of New York New York, NY
219 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
220 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
221 Kean University Union, NJ
222 Smith College Northampton, MA
223 University of Mississippi University, MS
224 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
225 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
226 University of New Mexico - Main Campus Albuquerque, NM
227 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
228 Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA
229 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ
230 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA
231 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
232 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
233 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
234 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA
235 Winona State University Winona, MN
236 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
237 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL
238 Saint Michael’s College Colchester, VT
239 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
240 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
241 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
242 Worcester State University Worcester, MA
243 Ursinus College Collegeville, PA
244 Missouri State University - Springfield Springfield, MO
245 Howard University Washington, DC
246 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
247 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
248 Stockton University Galloway, NJ
249 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
250 California State University - San Marcos San Marcos, CA
251 Westfield State University Westfield, MA
252 Stonehill College Easton, MA
253 Dominican University of California San Rafael, CA
254 Connecticut College New London, CT
255 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Moorhead, MN
256 East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA
257 California Baptist University Riverside, CA
258 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
259 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
260 University of Toledo Toledo, OH
261 Southwestern University Georgetown, TX
262 University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH
263 University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI
264 California State University - Stanislaus Turlock, CA
265 California State University - Channel Islands Camarillo, CA
266 Rutgers University - Camden Camden, NJ
267 Denison University Granville, OH
268 Elon University Elon, NC
269 University of Scranton Scranton, PA
270 Boise State University Boise, ID
271 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
272 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
273 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
274 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
275 Merrimack College North Andover, MA
276 Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA
277 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
278 Salve Regina University Newport, RI
279 Bradley University Peoria, IL
280 Arcadia University Glenside, PA
281 Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH
282 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
283 University of New England Biddeford, ME
284 Saint Mary’s College Notre Dame, IN
285 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
286 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
287 The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX
288 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
289 Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA
290 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
291 SUNY Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY
292 Chatham University Pittsburgh, PA
293 SUNY Geneseo Geneseo, NY
294 Nazareth College Rochester, NY

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
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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

Biology Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Biology Studies 79,087
General Biomedical Sciences 6,373

Related Major Annual Graduates
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology 12,092
Neurobiology & Neurosciences 11,367
Physiology & Pathology Sciences 7,365
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences 4,605
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology 4,476
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology 3,108
Zoology 2,630
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other) 1,590
Biotechnology 1,089
Genetics 738

Notes and References

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