College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best General Biology Schools

841 Colleges in the United States
107,165 Biology Degrees Awarded
$28,334 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #5 in popularity, general biology is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 841 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for general biology students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 107,165 degrees in general biology during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General Biology School

Best General Biology Schools The biology program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for General Biology rankings. We derive our Best Overall General Biology School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

General Biology Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Biology
Bachelor's Degrees in Biology
Master's Degrees in Biology
Doctor's Degrees in Biology

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best General Biology Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for General Biology in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the biology degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Biology

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In MA
86 Biology Degrees Awarded

Harvard University is a good choice for students interested in a degree in general biology. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were roughly 86 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general biology from Harvard University

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
158 Biology Degrees Awarded
$39,783 Median Starting Salary

University of Pennsylvania is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in general biology. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 158 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general biology program at University of Pennsylvania get $11,449 above the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of Pennsylvania

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Biology Degrees Awarded
$71,984 Median Starting Salary

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in general biology. MIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Cambridge. A Best Colleges rank of #1 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means MIT is a great school overall.

There were roughly 64 general biology students who graduated with this degree at MIT in the most recent data year. General Biology degree recipients from Massachusetts Institute of Technology earn a boost of approximately $43,650 over the typical income of general biology graduates.

More information about a degree in general biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

4
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
114 Biology Degrees Awarded
10.5% Growth in Graduates

Stanford University is a great option for students pursuing a degree in general biology. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were roughly 114 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available. Those general biology students who get their degree from Stanford University earn $8,388 more than the typical biology student.

More information about a degree in general biology from Stanford University

5
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
87 Biology Degrees Awarded
31.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. This college ranks 1st out of 17 schools for overall quality in the state of New Hampshire.

There were about 87 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent data year. Those general biology students who get their degree from Dartmouth College earn $8,436 more than the average biology student.

More information about a degree in general biology from Dartmouth College

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
315 Biology Degrees Awarded
3.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 315 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the biology program make about $29,066 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in general biology from Cornell University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
134 Biology Degrees Awarded
$24,335 Median Starting Salary

UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were about 134 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the biology program make about $24,335 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of Chicago

8
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
118 Biology Degrees Awarded
16.1% Growth in Graduates

Brown is a large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Providence. A Best Colleges rank of #21 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Brown is a great university overall.

There were roughly 118 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, biology degree recipients usually make about $29,535 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in general biology from Brown University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
21st Most Popular In NY
110 Biology Degrees Awarded

Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 110 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general biology from Columbia University in the City of New York

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
532 Biology Degrees Awarded
$24,167 Median Starting Salary

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 5th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 532 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the biology program state that they receive average early career wages of $24,167.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of California - Los Angeles

11
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
281 Biology Degrees Awarded
$37,231 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 281 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Tufts in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general biology program at Tufts University get $8,897 more than the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general biology from Tufts University

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
248 Biology Degrees Awarded
2.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were approximately 248 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general biology degree program at University of California - Berkeley earn $7,960 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of California - Berkeley

13
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
224 Biology Degrees Awarded
2.7% Growth in Graduates

Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were roughly 224 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the biology program earn about $20,600 for their early career.

More information about a degree in general biology from Duke University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
614 Biology Degrees Awarded
9.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were approximately 614 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the biology program earn about $24,522 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

15
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
491 Biology Degrees Awarded
6.9% Growth in Graduates

UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the city of Madison. This university ranks 1st out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were approximately 491 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Those general biology students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - Madison make $2,579 more than the standard biology grad.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of Wisconsin - Madison

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
361 Biology Degrees Awarded
$30,340 Median Starting Salary

UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the city of Minneapolis. This university ranks 1st out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were about 361 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. General Biology degree recipients from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn a boost of approximately $2,006 above the typical income of general biology majors.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

17
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
383 Biology Degrees Awarded
$37,367 Median Starting Salary

NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. This university ranks 4th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 383 general biology students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Those general biology students who get their degree from New York University receive $9,033 more than the average biology grad.

More information about a degree in general biology from New York University

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 Biology Degrees Awarded
10.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 127 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the biology program state that they receive average early career wages of $19,001.

More information about a degree in general biology from Northwestern University

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
853 Biology Degrees Awarded
$38,545 Median Starting Salary

Texas A&M College Station is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of College Station. This university ranks 3rd out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 853 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent year we have data available. General Biology degree recipients from Texas A&M University - College Station get an earnings boost of about $10,211 above the typical earnings of general biology majors.

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

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
251 Biology Degrees Awarded
45.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 250.99999999999997 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general biology degree program at Purdue University - Main Campus earn $14,698 more than the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general biology from Purdue University - Main Campus

21
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
137 Biology Degrees Awarded
$37,830 Median Starting Salary

WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were approximately 137 general biology students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available. Those general biology students who get their degree from Washington University in St Louis make $9,496 more than the standard biology student.

More information about a degree in general biology from Washington University in St Louis

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Biology Degrees Awarded
8.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 86 general biology students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the biology program earn an average of $24,988 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of Southern California

23
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
274 Biology Degrees Awarded
$36,945 Median Starting Salary

Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Atlanta. This university ranks 2nd out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were roughly 274 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available. Those general biology students who get their degree from Emory University earn $8,611 more than the standard biology student.

More information about a degree in general biology from Emory University

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Biology Degrees Awarded
$43,799 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Worcester, WPI is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population. This school ranks 5th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were roughly 40 general biology students who graduated with this degree at WPI in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general biology degree program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute earn $15,465 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general biology from Worcester Polytechnic Institute

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
469 Biology Degrees Awarded
$36,039 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 8th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 469 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year. Those general biology students who get their degree from University of California - San Diego earn $7,706 more than the average biology student.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of California - San Diego

Rest of the Top 50 Best General Biology Schools

26
27
28
29
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
30
31
31
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA

32

33
34
35
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
36
37
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
38
39
40

41

42
43
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
44
45
46
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
47
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA
48
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
49
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the rest of the schools awarded a Best General Biology Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 841 different United States general biology schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
51 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
52 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
53 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
54 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
55 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
56 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN
57 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
58 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
59 George Washington University Washington, DC
60 Boston University Boston, MA
61 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME
62 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
63 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
64 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
65 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
66 Williams College Williamstown, MA
67 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
68 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
69 University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester Worcester, MA
70 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
71 University of Delaware Newark, DE
72 Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Atlanta, GA
73 Providence College Providence, RI
74 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
75 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
76 Clemson University Clemson, SC
77 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
78 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
79 University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth, TX
80 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
81 University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA
82 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
83 Iowa State University Ames, IA
84 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
85 Auburn University Auburn, AL
86 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
87 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
88 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
89 Washington State University Pullman, WA
90 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
91 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
92 University of Georgia Athens, GA
93 Carleton College Northfield, MN
94 Baylor University Waco, TX
95 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
96 University of Denver Denver, CO
97 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
98 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
99 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
100 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
101 University of Houston Houston, TX
102 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
103 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
104 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
105 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
106 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
107 Lafayette College Easton, PA
108 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
109 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
110 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
111 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
112 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL
113 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
114 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
115 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
116 Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA
117 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
118 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
119 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
120 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
121 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
122 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY
123 The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Houston, TX
124 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
125 Emmanuel College Massachusetts Boston, MA
126 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD

Honorable Mentions

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

Rank College Location
127 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
128 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
129 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
130 University of California - Merced Merced, CA
131 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
132 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
133 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
134 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
135 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
136 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
137 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
138 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
139 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
140 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
141 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
142 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
143 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
144 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
145 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
146 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
147 Florida International University Miami, FL
148 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
149 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
150 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
151 Denison University Granville, OH
152 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
153 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
154 University of North Texas Denton, TX
155 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
156 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
157 Ursinus College Collegeville, PA
158 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
159 Amherst College Amherst, MA
160 Towson University Towson, MD
161 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
162 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
163 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
164 University of Portland Portland, OR
165 Illinois State University Normal, IL
166 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
167 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
168 Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH

General Biology by Region

View the Best General Biology 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

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 95,999
General Biomedical Sciences 11,166

View All Biology Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Biology

Related Major Annual Graduates
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology 14,535
Neurobiology & Neurosciences 11,615
Physiology & Pathology Sciences 8,813
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology 7,247
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences 6,206
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology 4,566
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other) 4,420
Biotechnology 3,911
Zoology 2,984
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics 2,957

View All Biology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options