### SUMMARY

 A degree in Biology is not only a valuable choice, but usually a needed first step for undergraduates hoping to begin a career as a biological scientist, a scintillant bioscientist, or a research and development biologist. Interestingly, biology is a very popular major choice, ranking as the 7th most popular area of study. Last year, there were 82,869 biology graduates. In-state tuition for biology at private universities is, on average, 3.7 times more costly than their public counterparts.

 With a staggering 1399 universities offering this degree chances are that any universities you are excited about will have a degree program for you. If you're hoping to immerse yourself with other biology majors, consider universities in California which have more undergraduates admitted to biology than any other state. Zooming out, the best region to pursue biology is in the Southeast region with [University of Central Florida](/colleges/university-of-central-florida), [Florida International University](/colleges/florida-international-university), and [University of South Florida-Main Campus](/colleges/university-of-south-florida-main-campus) best representing the region. Interestingly, our pick for the top conference to study biology is the Southeastern Conference with [University of Florida](/colleges/university-of-florida), [University of Georgia](/colleges/university-of-georgia), and [Texas A & M University-College Station](/colleges/texas-a-m-university-college-station) representing the conference. That being said, our selection for the best university for biology is [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology). You may also want to check out our list of the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges).

 The best school does not have to be the 'best' school for every student. There are a bunch more factors to consider when selecting institution. Features like campus amenities, transportation services, and food would definitely sway one's thoughts of where to go to university. Here at authority.org, we have examined the pros and cons for you. If, for example, you are interested in which biology school is home to the best campus, the answer is [Stanford University](/colleges/stanford-university). If you are mostly interested in which college has the finest campus, then we have a whole page [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through government databases, professor reviews, student reviews, and more so we can compare every U.S. major in an unbiased and informative way. Here you can find our well researched list for the universities with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbspand our choice of the college with the best student life for biology is [Cornell University](/colleges/cornell-university). Are you curious why? Keep reading to discover more about our top choices. Many of our picks will probably surprise you.

 If price is a primary influence in your choice of where you attend university, you might consider avoiding [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york). [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york)&nbspis our most expensive university for biology, at least regarding out of state attendance. That being said, we have an entire page for the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspuniversities that might put the expense at [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york)&nbspinto perspective. You may also care to know that biology is the 29th most expensive major in the US, with an average bill of $52,500. To zoom out a little, the most costly state for biology nationally is Vermont with costs at the main three universities Middlebury College, Saint Michael's College, and University of Vermont of $55,790, $45,050, and $45,050 respectively. To zoom out even further, the most expensive region for biology is the New England region which is best demonstrated with [Amherst College](/colleges/amherst-college) with a cost of $57,640, [Tufts University](/colleges/tufts-university) with a cost of $57,324, and [Brown University](/colleges/brown-university) with a cost of $57,112.

 Our cheapest region for biology is the Southwest region which is represented by [Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus](/colleges/eastern-new-mexico-university-main-campus) with a cost of $5,994, [Oklahoma Panhandle State University](/colleges/oklahoma-panhandle-state-university) with a cost of $4,440, and [The University of Texas of the Permian Basin](/colleges/the-university-of-texas-of-the-permian-basin) with a cost of $5,767. On the bright side, the most affordable university for biology is [University of South Florida-Main Campus](/colleges/university-of-south-florida-main-campus). Our full list of the most affordable colleges can be explored [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state attendees can anticipate paying around $9,500 for a degree in biology. That price swells significantly to an average of $21,300 for an out-of-state public-school student. As such, you might be interested in our selection for the university representing the best value for biology: [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology). Here you can find our comprehensive list on the universities we believe to be the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspin general. With that said, this list is predicated on being an out-of-state student. The value proposition changes when it comes to in-state tuition, but we do not know in which states any one student has residency.

 Earnings for biology students differ widely, but two-years after completing the major graduates will regularly make in the neighborhood of $37,100. While there is a lot of variation in earnings potential; top earners can rake in up to $77,700. Straight out of college, the lowest earning jobs within the biology field earn $17,000, which isn't that bad. The highest earning graduates for biology attended [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology)&nbspand if you are looking for universities with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), we have that too.

 The overall diversity of biology ranks very high, ranking within the 96th percentile of all programs. The school with the most composite diversity for biology is [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology)&nbspand here you can find our comprehensive list for the schools which have the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The financial diversity of Biology ranks only within the 42nd percentile compared to all other majors. Racial diversity is actually greater, ranking in the 94th percentile. White students make up the largest proportion, 45%, of students majoring in biology. Additionally, 63% of students pursuing a biology major are women.

 The median ranking for biology's professors is 4 stars, a score which is actually the average across every major; which is a fine. If you are curious about the most popular biology professor in the nation, consider looking up Jane Monaco at [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill). It may surprise you, but the top rated instructors for biology according to students come from [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill). If we incorporate data other than just rankings we find that the university possessing the best professors for biology is [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology). You will find more detail on our ever evolving ranking methodology of the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), along with some of the finest professors in the country.

 Finally, the hardest school to get into for biology is [Stanford University](/colleges/stanford-university). While we are unsure why you would be interested, we have a detailed page of the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). That being said, here at Authority we do hope you understand that approaching higher education with a perspective primarily formed from superlatives might cause problems. We hope you read our more focused pages on different colleges and read a few of our helpful background pages on essential details to look for as you continue your school search.



 ### POPULARITY

 Biology is the 7th most popular degree in America, with 82,869 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #8 [Criminal Justice](/rankings/best-colleges-for-criminal-justice), and narrowly lost to #6 [Education](/rankings/best-colleges-for-education).

 The degree is offered at a total of 1,399 colleges across the nation, and is the 4th most widely offered degree. Given that biology is offered at 92% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America, you can be sure this is a critical degree and the skillsets acquired are likely to last for a long time.

 It is also worth noting that 49% of colleges offering biology are public making it a pretty accessible field.

 The southeast produces the most biology graduates, largely led by [University of Central Florida](/colleges/university-of-central-florida), while it’s the Southeastern Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, California ranks highest, with particular help from [University of California-Irvine](/colleges/university-of-california-irvine) and [University of California-Los Angeles](/colleges/university-of-california-los-angeles).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more biology graduates than [Arizona Western College](/colleges/arizona-western-college), which graduated 941 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study biology). More students studied biology as a percentage of total students at [Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo](/colleges/pontifical-catholic-university-of-puerto-rico-arecibo) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Biology is the 29th most expensive major in the United States, with a median cost of $52,463 amongst the top 50 programs (just ahead of #30, [Computer Science](rankings/best-colleges-for-computer-science), with a median cost of $52,320).

 New England has the most expensive colleges with high quality biology programs led by [Amherst College](/colleges/amherst-college) with an annual cost of $57,640. Vermont is the most expensive state for biology led by [Middlebury College](/colleges/middlebury-college) and [Saint Michael's College](/colleges/saint-michael-s-college).

 Public schools with good programs by and large charge 73.28% less than private schools for in-state students. However, when looking at out-of-state tuition, the median top 50 Public school charges 40.32% less than the median private school. So, if you're looking into studying at a state school, make sure you qualify for in-state tuition as soon as possible.

 The most expensive top 25 college for biology is [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york), which is the 3rd most expensive college in the United States. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [Florida Atlantic University](/colleges/florida-atlantic-university). It costs just $14,374 per year, but it's its biology program is ranked #68. If you’re looking for a higher ranked, but still affordable college, [University of South Florida-Main Campus](/colleges/university-of-south-florida-main-campus)  could be for you, ranked #9 with an in-state cost of just $4,559. Another more affordable choice would be #23, [University of Florida](/colleges/university-of-florida) in Alachua County, FL with a cost of $4,477 for in-state students and $25,694 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Begining college is an important investment for most undergraduates. It is critical to make sure you enlarge your earning power. With that in mind, we hope the following career and income facts help you in deciding your focus at college.

 Just after college, Biology graduates make $30,065 a year on average (bottom 18%). After a little experience in their occupations, they can make up to $77,713 a year to as little as $17,027, but average more or less $37,102. For context, that's 4% south of the United States average.

 The most popular work position for a Biology graduate is Sales Specialist, which normally earn about $32,000; next are Analyst and Certified Nursing Assistant, which usually make near $54,000 and $22,000 respectively.

 New England has the most well paid Biology graduates. The most well paid state for Biology alumni is WY. The best paid conference for Biology graduates is Atlantic East Conference.



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Biology: Median Professor Rating: 4 / 5, which is below average.

 Professors consistently have a massive impact your college experience, regardless of your major. An effective teacher could help a student find their passion and even make a difficult subject seem easy. On the flip side, an ineffective professor can disenchant you from an entire field or even worse... fail you!

 Biology professors have a median student rating of 4 out of 5, which puts these professors in the top 69th percentile in the US grounded in overall professor effectivness. Suprisingly, this major is exactly the median for professor rating, which, in our opinion, is remarkably average! Biology professors slightly surpassed those from ["Social Work"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-social-work), whereas ["Theatre Design and Technology"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-theatre-design-and-technology)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Biology.

 Now for some statistics about Biology professors. Colleges located in small citys tend to have the best Biology professors. The Atlantic Coast Conference has the highest rated Biology professors. The Plains region has the highest rated Biology professors. Public institutions tend to have higher rated Biology professors than private institutions. Finally, Kentucky has the highest rated Biology professors in America.

 Jane Monaco, professor at [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill)&nbspin Chapel Hill, NC is the most popular Biology professor in the US. Anastasia Ivanova, professor at [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill)&nbspin Chapel Hill, NC is the highest rated Biology professor in the US, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 Find out which colleges have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College often can be a profoundly impactful investment in one's life; it is a time for individual progress and development. Undergraduates continue to learn who they are as people and forge many of the crucial skills to become a flourishing member of society. But growth isn't solely found in the classroom - the campus dialogue, the life lesson gained from an eccentric instructor, the exposure to a different stance on an issue. As such, a diverse student experience vastly improves what one gains from the time in college.

 Biology is a more popular subject for students of color than white students. 45% of America's Biology majors are white students, followed by asian students (24%), latino students (15%), and students of other races\*\*(9%). The most ethnically diverse college\* in the top 100 is [Cornell University](/colleges/cornell-university) located in Ithaca, NY.

 In addition, Biology significatly skews female, with 63% of students majoring in Biology identifying as women. [Bowdoin College](/colleges/bowdoin-college) in Brunswick, ME has the most gender balanced student body in the top 100.

 Another important type of diversity is economic diversity. Biology is somewhere near the median for financial diversity (58th percentile). 30% of its majors come from very high income households, 16% are from households who make between $48,000 and $75,000 a year, and 25% grew up in households who earn south of $30,000 a year. [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill) is the most financially diverse institution in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall NY is the most diverse state for Biology. The Mid East is the most diverse region, and the University Athletic Association is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 24%
* Black: 7%
* Latino: 15%
* White: 45%
* Other: 9%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 37%
* Female: 63%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 25%
* 30k - 48k: 15%
* 48k - 75k: 16%
* 75k - 110k: 14%
* Over 110k: 30%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 64%
* Out of State: 28%
* International: 8%


2023 Biology Salary

There are about 296,216 students enrolled in Biology in the USA.

SALARY