DEEPCOLLEGES · OPS · v3.3 SCHOOLS·INDEXED 120 SOURCES IPEDS · CDS · SCORECARD LAST·SYNC 2026.04.29
MAJOR GUIDE · 2026

Best Colleges for Biology: Ranked by Graduate Salary, Not Prestige
— ranked by salary, not prestige.

We rank by what graduates actually earn — not by reputation surveys.

01

The ranking

sortable · by salary outcomes
Rank School Salary Accept ROI Verdict
① Amherst College $65,100 9.8%
REACH
② Barnard College $65,100 8.0%
REACH
③ Bowdoin College $65,100 8.0%
REACH
04 Brown University $65,100 5.2%
REACH
05 Caltech $65,100 3.1%
REACH
06 Colby College $65,100 6.8%
REACH
07 Columbia University $65,100 4.2%
REACH
08 Cornell University $65,100 8.2%
REACH
09 Dartmouth College $65,100 6.2%
REACH
10 Duke University $65,100 6.8%
REACH
11 Harvard University $65,100 3.5%
REACH
12 Johns Hopkins University $65,100 7.6%
REACH
13 MIT $65,100 4.7%
REACH
14 New York University (NYU) $65,100 9.4%
REACH
15 Northeastern University $65,100 5.7%
REACH
16 Northwestern University $65,100 7.1%
REACH
17 Pomona College $65,100 6.8%
REACH
18 Princeton University $65,100 4.5%
REACH
19 Rice University $65,100 7.9%
REACH
20 Stanford University $65,100 3.9%
REACH
21 Swarthmore College $65,100 6.9%
REACH
22 UCLA $65,100 9.0%
REACH
23 University of Chicago $65,100 4.8%
REACH
24 University of Pennsylvania $65,100 5.9%
REACH
25 Vanderbilt University $65,100 6.3%
REACH
26 Williams College $65,100 10.0%
REACH
27 Yale University $65,100 4.5%
REACH
28 Boston University $60,900 10.8%
REACH
29 Carnegie Mellon University $60,900 11.4%
REACH
30 Claremont McKenna College $60,900 11.1%
REACH

Biology Major FAQs

Which college has the highest Biology salary?
Amherst College Biology graduates earn the highest median 4-year-out salary on this list, at $65,100. Salary by program is the most reliable signal for ROI on major choice.
What is the most competitive Biology program?
Caltech is the most selective school on this list with a 3.1% overall acceptance rate. Top programs in Biology often admit at significantly lower rates than the school-wide average.
Which colleges have an easier path to study Biology?
Among schools on this list, Carnegie Mellon University is the most accessible at a 11.4% acceptance rate. Less selective schools can still produce strong Biology grads — what matters is fit, faculty, and your own work.
What GPA do I need for Biology programs?
GPA requirements vary widely. Reach schools (acceptance < 20%) typically expect 3.8+ unweighted GPAs with rigorous coursework. Match schools (20-50%) expect 3.3-3.7. Less selective schools may admit at 3.0+. Major-specific admission (engineering, CS, business) is often tougher than the school average.
Should I pick a school based on Biology ranking or overall prestige?
Major-specific salary outcomes beat overall school prestige for most career paths. A top program in Biology at a less famous school often outperforms a mid-tier program at a brand-name school. The salary table on this page ranks programs by what graduates actually earn, not by reputation surveys.
▎FROM THE DATA TO YOUR LIST

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Data source: IPEDS, College Scorecard.