Best Colleges for Biology
Biology majors explore the science of life — from molecular genetics to ecology and evolution. These colleges offer exceptional biology programs with strong research opportunities and pathways to medical, dental, and graduate schools. Our composite score incorporates academic standing, graduation rates, major strength, and career outcomes.
advertisement
Top 100 schools ranked in this list.
| Rank | School | Tuition | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD, 21218 | $67,170 | 6% |
| #2 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, 19104 | $71,236 | 5% |
| #3 | University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA, 90095 | - | 9% |
| #4 | Providence College Providence, RI, 02918 | $65,960 | 51% |
| #5 | University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA, 94720 | - | 11% |
| #6 | University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA, 22904 | - | 17% |
| #7 | University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC, 27599 | - | 15% |
| #8 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN, 37240 | $71,226 | 6% |
| #9 | Rice University Houston, TX, 77005 | $65,475 | 8% |
| #10 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY, 14853 | $72,270 | 8% |
| #11 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL, 32611 | - | 24% |
| #12 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA, 02138 | $64,796 | 4% |
| #13 | Princeton University Princeton, NJ, 08544 | $65,210 | 5% |
| #14 | University of California San Diego La Jolla, CA, 92093 | - | 27% |
| #15 | The University of Texas--Austin Austin, TX, 78705 | - | 27% |
| #16 | Washington University in St. Louis Louis, MO, 63130 | $69,594 | 12% |
| #17 | University of Michigan--Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI, 48109 | - | 16% |
| #18 | University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, 92697 | - | 29% |
| #19 | William & Mary Williamsburg, VA, 23185 | - | 34% |
| #20 | University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, MI, 48221 | $33,606 | 75% |
| #21 | University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, 93106 | - | 33% |
| #22 | Brown University Providence, RI, 02912 | $74,550 | 5% |
| #23 | University of Maryland, College Park College Park, MD, 20742 | - | 45% |
| #24 | Yale University New Haven, CT, 06520 | $69,900 | 4% |
| #25 | Howard University Washington, DC, 20059 | $38,936 | 41% |
| #26 | University of Washington Seattle, WA, 98195 | - | 39% |
| #27 | University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN, 46556 | $67,607 | 11% |
| #28 | The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, 43210 | - | 61% |
| #29 | Emory University Atlanta, GA, 30322 | $68,056 | 10% |
| #30 | Rutgers University--New Brunswick Piscataway, NJ, 08854 | - | 41% |
| #31 | Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA, 30332 | - | 14% |
| #32 | University of Georgia Athens, GA, 30602 | - | 38% |
| #33 | Boston University Boston, MA, 02215 | $71,372 | 11% |
| #34 | University of Rochester Rochester, NY, 14627 | $70,384 | 40% |
| #35 | University of Minnesota--Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN, 55455 | - | 80% |
| #36 | Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA, 18015 | $67,920 | 26% |
| #37 | Purdue University--Main Campus West Lafayette, IN, 47907 | - | 50% |
| #38 | Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467 | $73,508 | 16% |
| #39 | Tufts University Medford, MA, 02155 | $73,616 | 12% |
| #40 | Northeastern University Boston, MA, 02115 | $69,289 | 5% |
| #41 | United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO, 80840 | - | 14% |
| #42 | New College of Florida Sarasota, FL, 34243 | - | 73% |
| #43 | Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD, 21210 | $59,150 | 75% |
| #44 | Bates College Lewiston, ME, 04240 | $70,146 | 13% |
| #45 | Le Moyne College SYRACUSE, NY, 13214 | $41,946 | 74% |
| #46 | The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ, 08628 | - | 62% |
| #47 | Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA, 19081 | $69,226 | 7% |
| #48 | University of Scranton Scranton, PA, 18510 | $55,438 | 81% |
| #49 | Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL, 60045 | $58,902 | 57% |
| #50 | Davidson College Davidson, NC, 28035 | $69,065 | 13% |
| #51 | Williams College Williamstown, MA, 01267 | $72,510 | 8% |
| #52 | Grinnell College Grinnell, IA, 50112 | $72,346 | 15% |
| #53 | Wellesley College Wellesley, MA, 02481 | $70,144 | 14% |
| #54 | Spelman College Atlanta, GA, 30314 | $32,470 | 25% |
| #55 | SUNY--Geneseo Geneseo, NY, 14454 | - | 66% |
| #56 | St. Olaf College Northfield, MN, 55057 | $62,700 | 48% |
| #57 | St. Mary's College of Maryland Marys City, MD, 20686 | - | 69% |
| #58 | Colby College Waterville, ME, 04901 | $72,910 | 7% |
| #59 | John Carroll University University Heights, OH, 44118 | $51,960 | 81% |
| #60 | Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA, 24450 | $71,365 | 14% |
| #61 | Taylor University Upland, IN, 46989 | $41,350 | 74% |
| #62 | Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL, 61702 | $59,430 | 39% |
| #63 | Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604 | $74,265 | 19% |
| #64 | Carleton College Northfield, MN, 55057 | $72,069 | 20% |
| #65 | Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA, 23606 | - | 86% |
| #66 | Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME, 04011 | $71,740 | 7% |
| #67 | Hamilton College Clinton, NY, 13323 | $72,690 | 14% |
| #68 | Rockhurst University Kansas City, MO, 64110 | $46,270 | 71% |
| #69 | Canisius University Buffalo, NY, 14208 | $35,530 | 72% |
| #70 | High Point University High Point, NC, 27268 | - | 75% |
| #71 | University of Portland Portland, OR, 97203 | $60,350 | 89% |
| #72 | Bryant University Smithfield, RI, 02917 | $54,404 | 68% |
| #73 | Berry College Mount Berry, GA, 30149 | $42,886 | 64% |
| #74 | Appalachian State University Boone, NC, 28608 | - | 90% |
| #75 | Xavier University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA, 70125 | $30,042 | 69% |
| #76 | Barnard College New York, NY, 10027 | $73,033 | 9% |
| #77 | Wesleyan University Middletown, CT, 06459 | $72,828 | 16% |
| #78 | Dominican University of California San Rafael, CA, 94901 | $53,700 | 84% |
| #79 | University of Wisconsin--La Crosse La Crosse, WI, 54601 | - | 81% |
| #80 | Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI, 49546 | $40,500 | 71% |
| #81 | Converse University Spartanburg, SC, 29302 | $34,144 | 68% |
| #82 | Augustana University Sioux Falls, SD, 57197 | $41,768 | 68% |
| #83 | College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA, 01060 | $68,090 | 18% |
| #84 | Earlham College Richmond, IN, 47374 | $55,814 | 73% |
| #85 | Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA, 30030 | $52,552 | 62% |
| #86 | Morehouse College Atlanta, GA, 30314 | $34,030 | 44% |
| #87 | Saint Peter's University Jersey City, NJ, 07306 | $43,170 | 90% |
| #88 | California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, CA, 91360 | $54,480 | 76% |
| #89 | Siena University Loudonville, NY, 12211 | $47,990 | 78% |
| #90 | Saint Mary's College of California Moraga, CA, 94575 | $59,769 | 89% |
| #91 | Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ, 07430 | - | 71% |
| #92 | Lycoming College Williamsport, PA, 17701 | $51,724 | 74% |
| #93 | Illinois College Jacksonville, IL, 62650 | $39,854 | 78% |
| #94 | Truman State University Kirksville, MO, 63501 | - | 84% |
| #95 | Hiram College Hiram, OH, 44234 | $30,720 | 92% |
| #96 | College of Charleston Charleston, SC, 29424 | - | 60% |
| #97 | University of the Ozarks Clarksville, AR, 72830 | $26,700 | 60% |
| #98 | CUNY--Hunter College New York, NY, 10021 | - | 54% |
| #99 | University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA, 22401 | - | 80% |
| #100 | University of Washington Tacoma Tacoma, WA, 98402 | - | 83% |
This ranking only displays the Top 100 schools. The full ranking includes more institutions not shown here.