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2025 Best General Biology Schools in Tennessee

16 Colleges in Tennessee
1,590 Biology Degrees Awarded
$33,813 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 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools in Tennessee 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 1,590 degrees in general biology annually.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General Biology School

Best General Biology Schools in Tennessee Your choice of general biology school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your General Biology Degree Level

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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best General Biology Schools in Tennessee list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 Tennessee

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.

10 Top Tennessee Schools in Biology

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In TN
41 Biology Degrees Awarded

Any student pursuing a degree in general biology has to look into Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 41 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general biology from Vanderbilt University

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
259 Biology Degrees Awarded
9.7% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in general biology needs to take a look at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. Located in the midsize city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #226 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UT Knoxville is a great university overall.

There were about 259 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UT Knoxville in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, biology degree recipients generally make around $27,487 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in general biology from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

3
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
15th Most Popular In TN
42 Biology Degrees Awarded

It's hard to beat Belmont University if you wish to pursue a degree in general biology. Belmont is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #237 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Belmont is a great university overall.

There were about 42 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Belmont in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general biology from Belmont University

4
Rhodes College crest
Rhodes College
Memphis, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Biology Degrees Awarded
2.1% Growth in Graduates

Rhodes College is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in general biology. Rhodes College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Memphis. A Best Colleges rank of #698 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Rhodes College is a great college overall.

There were about 47 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Rhodes College in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, biology degree recipients typically make about $28,901 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in general biology from Rhodes College

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
145 Biology Degrees Awarded
$35,986 Median Starting Salary

Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Murfreesboro. This university ranks 18th out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 145 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Middle Tennessee State University in the most recent year we have data available. Those general biology students who get their degree from Middle Tennessee State University receive $2,173 more than the typical biology student.

More information about a degree in general biology from Middle Tennessee State University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 Biology Degrees Awarded
1.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Johnson City, ETSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #802 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means ETSU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 107 general biology students who graduated with this degree at ETSU in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, biology degree recipients generally earn about $28,138 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in general biology from East Tennessee State University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Biology Degrees Awarded
12.2% Growth in Graduates

Sewanee is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Sewanee. A Best Colleges rank of #683 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Sewanee is a great university overall.

There were about 41 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Sewanee in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the biology program earn around $23,932 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in general biology from Sewanee - The University of the South

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
109 Biology Degrees Awarded
26.6% Growth in Graduates

UofM is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Memphis. This university ranks 12th out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 109 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UofM in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the biology program state that they receive average early career income of $32,145.

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

9
Lipscomb crest
Lipscomb University
Nashville, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Biology Degrees Awarded
$20,387 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Nashville, Lipscomb is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #688 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Lipscomb is a great university overall.

There were about 31 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Lipscomb in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the biology program report average early career income of $20,387.

More information about a degree in general biology from Lipscomb University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
121 Biology Degrees Awarded
$29,643 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 16th out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 121 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UT Chattanooga in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, biology degree recipients typically earn an average of $29,643 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in general biology from The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

Best General Biology Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best General Biology Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 3,494
Florida 282 6,422
North Carolina 279 3,663
Virginia 274 3,356
South Carolina 248 1,775
Kentucky 244 1,140
Louisiana 242 1,529
Mississippi 234 1,380
Arkansas 234 891
Alabama 233 1,939
West Virginia 207 526

View All Rankings >

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

Biology Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Biology Studies 1,516
General Biomedical Sciences 74

View All Biology Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Biology

Related Major Annual Graduates
Neurobiology & Neurosciences 306
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology 287
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other) 124
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology 50
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology 41
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences 31
Pharmacology & Toxicology 29
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics 26
Physiology & Pathology Sciences 15
Genetics 6

View All Biology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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