Best Colleges for Biology

March 17, 2023

best colleges for biology

Biological sciences is the most popular major for those planning to one day apply to med schools. Many biology majors will also continue their education beyond a bachelor’s pursuing Master’s and Ph.D. degrees. With all of these challenges ahead, you’ll want to choose a renowned institution that is one of the best biology colleges and will help you emerge from four years of study ready to compete in a competitive job or graduate school market. The colleges and universities that made our list of best colleges for biology are known for producing knowledgeable graduates who have had ample opportunity for hands-on learning in research laboratories.

Click the links below for more information about each college’s biology program. Click here to read our methodology.

Best Colleges for Biology

1) Swarthmore College

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 39
  • Advanced seminars are centered on current research in eleven different fields.
  • Students regularly present the results of their research to the campus community and at regional and national meetings.

2) University of California, Los Angeles

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 555
  • A plethora of opportunities exist for undergraduate students to conduct research.
  • There are many curricular options within the biology major.

3) Harvard University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: N/A
  • There are nine concentrations within the Life Sciences department: Biomedical engineering, the Chemical and Physical Biology (CPB), Chemistry, Cognitive Neuroscience & Evolutionary Psychology (CN&EP), Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology (HDRB), Human evolutionary biology, Integrative Biology (IB)/Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB), Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB), and Neuroscience.
  • Specific undergraduate research opportunities include the following.

4) Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 35
  • Allows students to elect various courses of study that focus on biology, biochemistry, or computational biology.
  • Unparalleled research opportunities exist for MIT undergrads.

5) California Institute of Technology

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 12
  • The division encourages undergraduate participation in its research program and believes that research participation should be a part of each student’s program of study.
  • View a typical course schedule for a Caltech biology undergrad.

6) Williams College

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 62
  • Many bio majors participate in a summer program in which a total of about 190 students pursue research projects under the direction of Williams science and math faculty members.
  • Honors students carry out a year-long independent research project that culminates in a thesis.

7) Stanford University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 63
  • Foundations courses include the following: Ecology, Genetics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Physiology, Evolutionary Biology, and Cell Biology.
  • 90% of Biology majors pursue an independent research project at some point during their undergraduate careers.

8) Johns Hopkins University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: NA
  • Offers a BA and BS degree in biology.
  • A Combined Master’s Degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology allows JHU students to earn a master’s in just one extra year of study.

9) University of Pennsylvania

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 149
  • Areas of concentration include the following: Computational Biology and Mathematical Biology concentrations, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology concentration, Mechanisms of Disease concentration, Molecular and Cell Biology concentration, and Neurobiology concentration.
  • For a full listing of undergraduate biology course offerings click here.

10) Cornell University

Best Biology Colleges (Continued)

11) Amherst College

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 25
  • There are 13 core faculty members in the Amherst Biology Department.
  • Many Biology majors choose to do a senior honors research project culminating in a thesis and graduation with departmental honors in Biology.

12) University of Chicago

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 147
  • The Biological Sciences Division at UChicago has a long and storied history.
  • Students pick from 7 specialization areas: Cancer Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Endocrinology, Genetics, Immunology, Microbiology, and Quantitative Biology.

13) Duke University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 165
  • Duke’s Biology Department is home to over 50 faculty.
  • There are 12 concentration areas to choose from.

14) Haverford College

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 33
  • In junior year students participate in research-focused laboratories and as seniors, they conduct their own laboratory-based, year-long research projects.
  • Students research alongside professors in one of the following areas: cell biology, genetics, immunology, microbiology, neurobiology, developmental biology, protein biochemistry or the coevolution of plants and the environment.

15) Princeton University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: NA
  • Biology majors complete a senior thesis, when students consolidate their learning in a piece of original scholarship.
  • Graduates enter a range of careers including biomedical research, medicine, global health and policy, industry, education, and science writing.

16) University of California, San Diego

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: N/A
  • There are 116 faculty members in the School of Biological Sciences including 23 members of the National Academy of Sciences.
  • Over 5,000 students are enrolled in 7 biology majors: Bioinformatics, Ecology Behavior & Evolution, General Biology, Human Biology, Microbiology, Molecular and Cell Biology, and Neurobiology.

17) Columbia University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 68
  • There are various ways for Columbia undergrads to engage in research.
  • All Columbia undergraduate biology courses can be viewed here.

18) Bowdoin College

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 29
  • Bowdoin has 17 biology professors as part of their faculty.
  • Learn more about undergraduate research at Bowdoin.

19) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 545
  • UNC offers a BA or BS degree in biology.
  • Some students elect to complete a Senior Honors Thesis in Biology.

20) University of California, Berkeley

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 233
  • 112 full-time faculty in the department.
  • Biological Sciences Research Units & Museums can be viewed here.

Best Colleges for Biology (Continued)

21) Yale University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: N/A
  • Relevant departments at Yale include Cell Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology.
  • Countless research, volunteer, and conference opportunities are available for Yale undergrads.

22) Brown University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 93
  • There are 150 faculty members in the biology department.
  • 10 relevant Research Centers at Brown can be taken advantage of by undergraduates.

23) Dartmouth College

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 53
  • View Dartmouth-sponsored research programs.
  • Many bio students take a semester of coursework at field stations in Costa Rica and Little Cayman Island.

24) Pomona College

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 7
  • Specialization options in fields including environmental, organismal, plant, molecular and cell biology.
  • The Biology Department uses the Pomona College-owned Herman Garner Ecological Preserve in Claremont and the Mildred Pitt Ranch in Monterey County for research.

25) Carleton College

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 61
  • Opportunities for undergraduate research
  • The curriculum encompasses diverse fields, including botany, conservation, ecology, evolution, genetics, marine biology, microbiology, molecular biology, and physiology.

26) Davidson College

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 65
  • Students have opportunities to design independent research courses, conduct thesis projects and participate in paid summer research internships.
  • View faculty areas of research interest here.

27) Northwestern University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 91
  • Areas of specialization include Cell and Developmental Biology, Human Health and Disease, Computational and Systems Biology, and Molecular Neurobiology.
  • Many students join the Biology Students Association.

28) Emory University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 28
  • The Emory Biology Department offers both a BA and a BS in Biology.
  • Opportunities are provided for supervised laboratory experiences, seminars, directed study, and research.

29) Grinnell College

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 41
  • Undergraduates at Grinnell conduct research, design and execute investigations, interpret data, and communicate their findings.
  • To be considered for honors in biology, graduating seniors must conduct an independent research project.

30) University of California, Santa Barbara

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 368
  • The UCSB biological sciences major leads to either a BS or a BA degree.
  • View laboratory and fieldwork opportunities

Best Biology Colleges (Continued)

31) University of Notre Dame

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 76
  • Tracks include Integrative Biology, Cell & Developmental Biology, and Computational Biology.
  • The sequence of introductory courses consists of two lecture courses, Big Questions and Molecules to Ecosystems, and two laboratory courses, Biological Investigations and Research Experience in Biology.

32) Rice University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 13
  • Concentration areas include Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Genetics, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Integrative Biology.
  • Rice students in the biosciences have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of research projects both on- and off-campus.

33) Washington University in St. Louis

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 115
  • Two-thirds of WashU bio undergraduates attend medical school.
  • Tracks offered are as follows: Biology Major, Ecology and Evolution Track, Genomics and Computational Biology Track, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Track, Neuroscience Track, Microbiology Track, and Environmental Biology Major.

34) University of Washington – Seattle

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 156
  • BA or BS option for undergraduate bio majors.
  • The department primarily focuses on plant and animal physiology, ecology, evolution, and cell biology.

35) University of Virginia

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 281
  • The undergraduate curriculum in Biology consists of core courses in genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, ecology, and evolution.
  • View undergraduate research settings and opportunities.

36) University of Wisconsin – Madison

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 376
  • The majority of bio students at UW Madison engage in independent research.
  • A high percentage of bio students at this university elect to study abroad.

37) University of Michigan

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 178
  • 80 full-time faculty members.
  • Many students participate in undergraduate research.

38) University of California, Davis

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 341
  • The core program includes courses in mathematics, general and organic chemistry, physics, biochemistry, and biology that emphasize breadth as well as depth.
  • Hands-on learning opportunities are highly accessible.

39) Tufts University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 152
  • The Tufts Biology department was recently awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to design a Biological Integration Institute.
  • Degree options include a BS in Biology, a BA/BS in Biopsychology, and a BA/BS in Biotechnology.

40) Macalester College

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 43
  • Topics covered include Biodiversity and Evolution, Ecology and the Environment, Genetics, and Cell Biology.
  • Mac professors welcome students into their labs or into the field, working side-by-side on original research.

Best Colleges for Biology (Continued)

41) Vanderbilt University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 18
  • There are 3 undergraduate majors: Biological Sciences; Molecular and Cellular Biology; and Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology.
  • Majors in biological sciences are encouraged to carry out research projects for credit.

42) University of Pittsburgh

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 289
  • Pitt’s bio department offers five undergraduate majors: Biological Sciences, Bioinformatics, Ecology and Evolution, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology.
  • Students are encouraged to participate in cutting-edge research projects under faculty guidance, serving as undergraduate teaching assistants, doing internships, and participating in student clubs.

43) Reed College

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 19
  • Biology majors complete a senior thesis.
  • Reed offers a Biology Major, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Major, and an Environmental Studies-Biology Major.

44) University of Rochester

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 223
  • The following tracks are offered at Rochester: Biology, Biochemistry, Biological Sciences: General Track, Cell and Developmental Biology, Computational Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology.
  • Info on getting started in research.

45) Brandeis University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 148
  • Offers a BA in Biology and a BS in Biology more geared toward those entering careers in research.
  • Read more about the Honors Program and Senior Research.

46) Georgetown University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 29
  • Georgetown emphasizes a research-intensive experience both in coursework and in research laboratories.
  • The department offers 4 majors: Biology, Biology of Global Health, Environmental Biology, and Neurobiology.

47) College of William & Mary

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 137
  • Students perform research at a variety of locations including College Woods, Lake Matoaka, and a house on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
  • Students begin research with faculty in their sophomore or junior year through the Honors Program in Biology.

48) University of Southern California

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 78
  • Undergraduate programs are offered in four different research sections: Human and Evolutionary Biology, Marine and Evolutionary Biology, Molecular and Computational Biology, and Neuroscience.
  • A number of relevant student-run organizations attract large numbers of bio students.

49) Case Western Reserve University

  • Number of degrees awarded per year: 67
  • The department offers coursework in the following areas: Animal Behavior, Cell and Developmental Biology, Computational Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Neurobiology, Physiology, and Plant Biotechnology.
  • You can earn a BA or BS in Biology at Case.

50) University of California, Irvine

Best Colleges for Biology – Additional Resources

We hope that you have found our list of the best biology schools to be helpful in your college search journey. College Transitions has published a number of other blogs and Dataverse pages that may be helpful to you as you explore a biology major.