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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Biology (With Aid)

845 Ranked Colleges
107,165 Degrees Awarded
$10,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 107,165 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, general biology is the 5th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, general biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,334 and had an average of $23,818 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 845 colleges that offer a degree in general biology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general biology programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general biology program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid” 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. 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 Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Biology (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 Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UNC Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 614 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best General Biology Schools” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,469 for biology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 UNC Chapel Hill General Biology Report

2

Out of the 845 schools in the Best Value Biology 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. This large school is located in Edinburg, Texas, and it awarded 587 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UT Rio Grande Valley also did well on our “Best General Biology Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UT Rio Grande Valley is $3,743 for biology students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley General Biology Report

3
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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 Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 254 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,805 for biology students with aid per year to attend The City College of New York.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CCNY General Biology Report

4

Out of the 845 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 182 diplomas to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW Seattle also did well on our “Best General Biology Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $12,017 for biology students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Biology at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

5
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Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 845 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #5 spot on the list. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 86 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Biology Schools” list. It costs about $13,872 for biology students with aid per year to attend Harvard.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at Harvard University

6
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Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 114 diplomas to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our biology students with aid list, Stanford has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $12,894 for biology students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about General Biology at Stanford University

7
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Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 251 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue also took the #24 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,377 for biology students with aid per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Purdue

8

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 136 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $3,302 for biology students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at California State University - Los Angeles

9
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 563 diplomas to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UF is in the top on our “Best General Biology Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $5,135 for Biology students with aid.

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

Full UF General Biology Report

10

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biology degrees to 532 students in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best General Biology Schools” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $15,023 for biology students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about General Biology at UCLA

11

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biology degrees to 1,339 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, USF Tampa is also in the top of our “Best General Biology Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $8,346 for biology students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about General Biology at University of South Florida - Main Campus

12
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MIT, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MIT is $16,407 for biology students with aid.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Biology at MIT

13
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Hunter is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 164 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter College is $2,158 for Biology students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 General Biology at Hunter College

14
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Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. QC is a fairly large school located in Queens, New York that handed out 128 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for QC is $3,469 for biology students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 General Biology at Queens College

15
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Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Elizabeth City State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Elizabeth City State University is located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Elizabeth City State University is $3,704 for biology students with aid.

Read full report on General Biology at ECSU

16
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Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Williams College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It awarded 57 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Williams also made our “Best General Biology Schools” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Williams College is $23,497 for biology students with aid.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Biology at Williams College

17

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 491 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #20 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,234 for Biology 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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at UW - Madison

18

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 469 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCSD is also in the top of our “Best General Biology Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best General Biology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for biology students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about General Biology at University of California - San Diego

19

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 264 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - La Crosse excels when it comes to biology quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,654 for Biology students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW - La Crosse General Biology Report

20
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biology degrees to 362 students in 2020-2021.

Florida State excels when it comes to biology quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $9,946 for biology students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full Florida State General Biology Report

21

Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Rexburg, Idaho, and it awarded 238 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,698 for Biology students with aid per year to attend BYU - I.

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%.

Full BYU - I General Biology Report

22

California State University - Fresno ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 152 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $6,230 for biology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 full report on General Biology at Fresno State

23

University of California - Berkeley landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biology degrees to 248 students 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 General Biology Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,032 for biology students with aid per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 General Biology at UC Berkeley

24

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 897 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCF is also in the top of our “Best General Biology Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $8,618 for Biology 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 full report on General Biology at University of Central Florida

25
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. FAU is a public institution located in Boca Raton, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 562 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, FAU also did well on our “Best General Biology Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Biology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida Atlantic University is $10,735 for Biology students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Florida Atlantic University

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Biology 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
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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
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Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York
37
38
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Berea College
Berea, Kentucky
39
40
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University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
41
42
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California
43
44
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Lehman College
Bronx, New York
45
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Baruch College
New York, New York
46
47
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Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
48
49
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University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Biology 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 - Riverside Riverside, CA
52 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
53 Texas A&M International University Laredo, TX
54 San Diego Mesa College San Diego, CA
55 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
56 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
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 California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson, CA
60 University of Georgia Athens, GA
62 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
63 California State University - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA
64 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
65 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
Rank College Location
66 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
67 Iowa State University Ames, IA
68 Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ
69 University of Houston Houston, TX
70 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
71 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
72 Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL
73 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
74 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
75 University of Delaware Newark, DE
76 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
76 Farmingdale State College Farmingdale, NY
78 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
79 Mott Community College Flint, MI
80 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
81 San Diego City College San Diego, CA
82 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
83 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
84 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
85 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY
86 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
87 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
88 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
89 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
90 Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA
Rank College Location
91 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
92 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH
93 The University of Texas at Tyler Tyler, TX
94 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
95 University of North Texas Denton, TX
96 Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Atlanta, GA
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 Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL
103 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
104 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA
105 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
106 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
107 University of Houston - Clear Lake Houston, TX
108 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
109 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
110 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
111 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
112 Portland State University Portland, OR
113 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
114 Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wesson, MS
115 Towson University Towson, MD
Rank College Location
116 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
117 New Mexico State University - Main Campus Las Cruces, NM
118 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
119 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
120 York College Jamaica, NY
121 Purdue University Northwest Hammond, IN
122 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
123 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
124 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
124 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
126 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
127 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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