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Using science and data we decided to determine which programs offer the best career opportunities for biology Majors. Here are the set of the top colleges for biology Majors in US for 2021:
  1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  2. University of Virginia
  3. University of Florida
  4. Duke University
  5. Cornell University
  6. University of Texas at Austin
  7. College of William and Mary
  8. SUNY at Binghamton
  9. University of Maryland - College Park
  10. University of Wisconsin - Madison
If you go to one of these schools, chances are, you're not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.

25 best colleges for biology majors in the US

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Admission rate: 23%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $49,900

2. University of Virginia

Location
Charlottesville, VA
Admission rate: 26%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $56,800

3. University of Florida

Location
Gainesville, FL
Admission rate: 39%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $47,700

4. Duke University

Location
Durham, NC
Admission rate: 9%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $93,200

5. Cornell University

Location
Ithaca, NY
Admission rate: 11%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $76,300

6. University of Texas at Austin

Location
Austin, TX
Admission rate: 39%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $52,200

7. College of William and Mary

Location
Williamsburg, VA
Admission rate: 37%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $47,400

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Location
Vestal, NY
Admission rate: 40%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $47,700

9. University of Maryland - College Park

Location
College Park, MD
Admission rate: 47%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $50,100

10. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Location
Madison, WI
Admission rate: 52%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $49,600

11. Boston College

Location
Chestnut Hill, MA
Admission rate: 28%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $64,900

12. Brown University

Location
Providence, RI
Admission rate: 8%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $64,800

13. University of California, Irvine

Location
Irvine, CA
Admission rate: 29%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $44,300

14. Emory University

Location
Atlanta, GA
Admission rate: 19%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $65,500

15. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Location
San Luis Obispo, CA
Admission rate: 30%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $54,700

16. University of California - Los Angeles

Location
Los Angeles, CA
Admission rate: 14%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $52,000

17. Tufts University

Location
Medford, MA
Admission rate: 15%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $56,600

18. Wake Forest University

Location
Winston-Salem, NC
Admission rate: 29%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $62,900

19. North Carolina State University

Location
Raleigh, NC
Admission rate: 47%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $45,000

20. Washington University in St Louis

Location
Saint Louis, MO
Admission rate: 15%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $63,400

21. University of California, Santa Barbara

Location
Santa Barbara, CA
Admission rate: 32%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $42,800

22. Clemson University

Location
Clemson, SC
Admission rate: 47%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $48,100

23. College of New Jersey, The

Location
Ewing, NJ
Admission rate: 50%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $49,000

24. SUNY Stony Brook

Location
Stony Brook, NY
Admission rate: 42%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $44,000

25. University of Richmond

Location
University of Richmond, VA
Admission rate: 30%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $51,900

How we determined the best biology colleges

We looked at the following data from the NCES (National Center For Education Statistics) and College Scorecard data from ED.gov to understand what biology departments offer the best career opportunities:
  • Percentage of Graduating Class That Are Business Majors
  • Mean Earnings After 10 Years
  • Mean Earnings After 6 Years
  • Admission Rate (More selective the better)
  • Average cost of attendance (Lower is better)
  • Median amount of debt
  • Ratio of people working to not working after 10 years