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2023 Best General Biology Schools

880 Colleges
$28,334 Avg Salary
$23,818 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best General Biology School for You

In 2020-2021, 107,165 general biology students received their degrees and certificates, making the major the #5 most popular in the country.

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

The Best General Biology Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 880 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best General Biology Schools in the United States

Check out the biology programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 25 Top Schools in General Biology

#1

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, ME

Our analysis found Bowdoin College to be the best school for general biology students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Bowdoin is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Brunswick.

Read full report on General Biology at Bowdoin College

#2

Williams College

Williamstown, MA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best General Biology Schools list. Located in the fringe town of Williamstown, Williams is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, biology majors at Williams accumulate an average of around $13,500 in student debt.

Read full report on General Biology at Williams College

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best General Biology Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge, MIT is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Military Institute. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best General Biology Schools list. Located in the distant town of Lexington, VMI is a public school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, biology majors at VMI accumulate an average of around $23,000 in student debt.

Read full report on General Biology at Virginia Military Institute

The excellent programs at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best general biology schools in the United States. TTUHSC is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Lubbock.

Full General Biology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Report

#6

Haverford College

Haverford, PA

Haverford College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best General Biology Schools ranking. Haverford is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Haverford.

Read full report on General Biology at Haverford College

#7

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

Stanford University ranked #7 on this year’s Best General Biology Schools list. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

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#8

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best General Biology Schools ranking. Dartmouth is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Hanover.

The average amount in student loans that biology majors at Dartmouth take out is $13,500.

Read More…

#9

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA

With a ranking of #9, Bucknell University did quite well on this year’s best schools for general biology students. Located in the town of Lewisburg, Bucknell is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, biology graduates from Bucknell take out $26,899 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full General Biology at Bucknell University Report

#10

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for general biology students. It came in at #10 on the list. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia.

While working on their degree, biology majors at UPenn accumulate an average of around $15,000 in student debt.

Read full report on General Biology at University of Pennsylvania

#11

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA

Lehigh University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best general biology programs. Lehigh is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bethlehem.

While working on their degree, biology majors at Lehigh accumulate an average of around $26,266 in student debt.

Full General Biology at Lehigh University Report

#12

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

Harvard University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for general biology students. It came in at #12 on the list. Harvard is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge.

Full General Biology at Harvard University Report

#13

Lafayette College

Easton, PA

Lafayette College ranked #13 on this year’s Best General Biology Schools list. Located in the suburb of Easton, Lafayette is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, biology graduates from Lafayette take out $19,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on General Biology at Lafayette College

#14

Bates College

Lewiston, ME

Bates College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for general biology students. It came in at #14 on the list. Located in the small city of Lewiston, Bates is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Biology majors at Bates take out an average of $15,945 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full General Biology at Bates College Report

#15

Brown University

Providence, RI

Brown University ranked #15 on this year’s Best General Biology Schools list. Located in the city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

The average amount in student loans that biology majors at Brown take out is $15,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $507, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on General Biology at Brown University

#16

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA

College of the Holy Cross ranked #16 on this year’s Best General Biology Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Worcester, Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Biology majors at Holy Cross take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full General Biology at College of the Holy Cross Report

#17

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA

Swarthmore College landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best general biology programs. Located in the large suburb of Swarthmore, Swarthmore is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that biology majors at Swarthmore take out is $11,750.

Full General Biology at Swarthmore College Report

#18

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA

Boston College landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best general biology programs. Located in the city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

On average, biology graduates from Boston College take out $18,000 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $752.

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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranked #19 on this year’s Best General Biology Schools list. Located in the city of Troy, RPI is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

Biology majors at RPI take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full General Biology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Report

#20

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA

Santa Clara University ranked #20 on this year’s Best General Biology Schools list. Located in the city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their degree, biology majors at SCU accumulate an average of around $21,434 in student debt.

Full General Biology at Santa Clara University Report

#21

Colgate University

Hamilton, NY

Colgate University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best general biology programs. Colgate is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Hamilton.

Biology majors at Colgate take out an average of $15,741 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full General Biology at Colgate University Report

#22

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, VA

With a ranking of #22, Randolph - Macon College did quite well on this year’s best schools for general biology students. Located in the large suburb of Ashland, Randolph - Macon is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that biology majors at Randolph - Macon take out is $24,980. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $377.

Read More…

University of California - Berkeley ranked #23 on this year’s Best General Biology Schools list. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Berkeley.

While working on their degree, biology majors at UC Berkeley accumulate an average of around $15,000 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $301.

Read More…

Worcester Polytechnic Institute did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for general biology students. It came in at #24 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Worcester, WPI is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

Biology majors at WPI take out an average of $26,936 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

#25

Macalester College

Saint Paul, MN

Macalester College ranked #25 on this year’s Best General Biology Schools list. Macalester is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Saint Paul.

After completing their degree, biology graduates from Macalester carry an average student debtload of $24,183.

Read full report on General Biology at Macalester College

Rest of the Top 50 Best General Biology Schools

#27

DeSales University

Center Valley, PA
#28

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY
#29

Winona State University

Winona, MN
#30

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY
#31

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, MN
#32

Barnard College

New York, NY
#33

Union College New York

Schenectady, NY
#34

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY
#35

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA
#37

Lycoming College

Williamsport, PA
#38

Hampden - Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney, VA
#39

Carleton College

Northfield, MN
#42

St Olaf College

Northfield, MN
#43

Denison University

Granville, OH
#44

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA
#45

Ursinus College

Collegeville, PA
#48

Saint Anselm College

Manchester, NH
#49

Trinity College

Hartford, CT

Additional Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Best General Biology Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 880 different United States general biology schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 San Diego Mesa College San Diego, CA
52 College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN
53 Northeastern University Boston, MA
54 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA
55 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
56 Carroll University Waukesha, WI
57 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
58 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
59 Excelsior College Albany, NY
60 Franklin College Franklin, IN
61 Southwestern University Georgetown, TX
62 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
63 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
64 Robert Morris University Moon Township, PA
65 Hamline University Saint Paul, MN
66 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay, WI
67 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
68 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA
69 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
70 Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Atlanta, GA
71 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
72 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
73 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
74 University of Redlands Redlands, CA
74 University of Washington - Bothell Campus Bothell, WA
76 Neumann University Aston, PA
77 Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA
78 St Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s City, MD
79 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
80 Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA
81 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
82 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
83 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
84 San Diego City College San Diego, CA
85 California State University - Channel Islands Camarillo, CA
86 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
87 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
88 Hood College Frederick, MD
89 York College of Pennsylvania York, PA
90 Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN
91 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
92 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
93 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
94 Dominican University of California San Rafael, CA
95 Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO
96 Providence College Providence, RI
97 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY
98 Aurora University Aurora, IL
99 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
100 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
101 Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD
102 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ
103 University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI
104 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
105 Millikin University Decatur, IL
106 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
107 Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN
108 Mott Community College Flint, MI
109 Hanover College Hanover, IN
110 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
111 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
112 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
113 Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA
114 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
115 Tufts University Medford, MA
116 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
117 Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL
118 Augustana University Sioux Falls, SD
119 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
120 University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester Worcester, MA
121 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD
122 Illinois State University Normal, IL
123 Dominican University River Forest, IL
124 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN
125 Clarkson University Potsdam, NY
126 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
127 Willamette University Salem, OR
128 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
129 University of Chicago Chicago, IL
130 Widener University Chester, PA
131 Towson University Towson, MD
132 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL

Honorable Mentions

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

Rank College Location
133 Duke University Durham, NC
134 Stevenson University Stevenson, MD
135 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
136 Randolph College Lynchburg, VA
137 Meredith College Raleigh, NC
138 Linfield University - McMinnville Campus McMinnville, OR
139 Colby - Sawyer College New London, NH
140 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA
141 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
142 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
143 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
144 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
145 American University Washington, DC
146 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
147 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
148 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
149 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
150 University of Portland Portland, OR
151 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA
152 Saint Mary’s College Notre Dame, IN
153 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA
154 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
155 Boston University Boston, MA
156 Augustana College Rock Island, IL
157 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
158 Luther College Decorah, IA
159 Saint Vincent College Latrobe, PA
160 Amherst College Amherst, MA
161 Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ
162 Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA
163 Hope College Holland, MI
164 Stonehill College Easton, MA
165 Kean University Union, NJ
166 Augsburg University Minneapolis, MN
167 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
168 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
169 Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH
170 Mount St Mary’s University Emmitsburg, MD
171 John Carroll University University Heights, OH
172 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
173 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
174 University of California - Merced Merced, CA
175 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
176 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Moorhead, MN

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
Great Lakes

General Biology is one of 14 different types of programs to choose from.

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

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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