Best Colleges for Biology Majors

Best colleges for biology majors with student in lab

Biology in its most basic conceptualization is the study of living organisms, including the structure, and chemical and electrical processes of life. The field includes not just plants and animals, but also microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses. In ranking the best colleges for biology degrees, we expect the college to imbue in its students the core principals of dispassionate scientific inquiry, unbiased by non-scientific trends of the day.

Ranking the Best Colleges for Biology Majors

The table below lists the top colleges in biologal sciences, with the college name, city, state and a relative scoring of our ranking analyses. If the name is underlined in this ranking, we have created a profile for that institution, which you can find by tapping on its name.

RankCollegeCityStateScore
1Stanford UniversityPalo AltoCA97.46
2California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCA96.28
3Massachusetts Institute of TechnlogyCambridgeMA96.03
4University of ChicagoChicagoIL93.48
5Harvard UniversityCambridgeMA90.29
6Princeton UniversityPrinceton NJ88.47
7University of WashingtonSeattleWA88.29
8Cornell UniversityIthacaNY88.03
9Yale UniversityNew HavenCT87.47
10Columbia UniversityNew YorkNY84.51
11University of California - Los AngelesLos AngelesCA82.80
12Johns Hopkins University BaltimoreMD82.51
13University of California - BerkeleyBerkeleyCA82.06
14Duke UniversityDurhamNC82.01
15University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA81.50
16Indiana UniversityBloomingtonIN80.94
17University of TexasAustinTX79.65
18University of Illinois - Urbana-ChampaignChampaignIL78.45
19University of California - DavisDavisCA77.88
20University of California - San DiegoSan DiegoCA77.67
21Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaGA77.65
22University Of Wisconsin - MadisonMadisonWI77.64
23University of MichiganAnn ArborMI77.25
24University of FloridaGainesvilleFL74.73
25The Ohio State UniversityColumbusOH73.92
26Nortwestern UniversityEvanstonIL71.56
27Michigan State UniversityEast LansingMI71.35
28Texas A&M UniversityCollege StationTX71.15
29Penn StateUniversity ParkPA69.89
30New York University New YorkNY68.15
31Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMO67.75
32North Carolina State UniversityRaleighNC66.29
33Emory UniversityAtlantaGA64.55
34University of MinnesotaTwin CitiesMN64.42
35Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTN64.19
36Arizona State UniversityTempeAZ63.76
37University of GeorgiaAthensGA61.24
38Purdue UniversityWest LafayetteIN60.93
39University of North Carolina - Chapel HillChapel HillNC60.86
40Colorado State UniversityFt. CollinsCO58.96
41University of Colorado - BoulderBoulderCO58.57
42Iowa State UniversityAmesIA57.99
43Rice UniversityHoustonTX57.85
44University of ArizonaTusconAZ57.27
45University of MarylandCollege ParkMD55.94
46Florida State UniversityTallahasseeFL55.83
47University of PittsburghPittsburghPA54.71
48Boston UniversityBostonMA53.71
49University of KansasLawrenceKS52.39
50University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxvilleTN52.22

You can find more information on the methodology used in creating this ranking in our About page.

What is a Biology Major?

Biology is a broad field covering numerous different concentrations or specialties. For undergraduate students, a major in biological sciences typically invovles an exposure to the core areas, such as biochemistry and genetics, as well as a concentration in one or more of the various areas. Courses may include offerings such as:

  • Genetics
  • Biochemistry / Organic chemistry – which deals with chemical processes in living things.
  • Inorganic chemistry – which deals with chemical processes anywhere in the environment.
  • Cellular Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Microbiology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Ecology
  • Bioinformatics
  • Physiology
  • Biotechnology

Biology Careers

For many students, an undergraduate degree in biology serves as a stepping stone for further academic study. Typically, about half of students with this undergraduate major also go on to further education. This further education may include medical school, dental school, graduate biology (advanced degree), or even law school For those wishing to stay in the field, such as in biotech, typically an advanced degree is required. Examples of careers utilizing biology degrees are:

  • Medical Doctor, Nurse or other medical professional
  • Dentist
  • Biotech research
  • Genetics engineering
  • Pharmacological Research
  • Government Agencies
  • Environmental Specialist
  • Ecologist
  • Public Health
  • Hospital Management
  • Patent Attorney

Related Ranking: Best Colleges for Chemistry.

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