Best Biology Schools by Graduate Salary & ROI (2026)

822 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Biology, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Biology graduate earns $32,220/yr across 822 schools.

What do Biology graduates do? See career paths and salaries →

Why a CSU in the Bay Area Beats the Ivy League

California State University-East Bay's #1 rank isn't about prestige; it's about a direct pipeline to a paycheck. Located in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area's biotech hub, CSUEB provides an affordable, practical education designed to fill the region's thousands of lab technician and research associate roles. This combination of low public tuition (just $28,220 for four years) and access to high-paying local jobs ($44,370/yr starting salary) creates an incredible 25.2x return on investment that more famous, expensive universities can't match for this specific degree.

Where Are the Big-Name Schools?

You'll notice that elite private universities are absent from the top 20. That's not a mistake. This ranking highlights a crucial truth: a general biology degree is often a stepping stone, either to graduate school or to entry-level lab work. For students heading directly into the workforce, the high tuition of a private research university creates a massive debt burden relative to a typical $40k-$50k starting salary. The public schools dominating this list—19 of the top 20—offer a far more financially efficient path to the same jobs, making them a smarter investment for this career track.

Your New Lab Partner is an Algorithm

The 45.1% AI task exposure for biologists is not a threat, it's a job description change. AI will not replace you, but it will automate the most tedious parts of your job, like analyzing thousands of microscope images or processing massive genomic datasets. Your value will shift from performing repetitive tasks to designing the experiments, interpreting the complex patterns AI uncovers, and applying human judgment to the results. This makes skills in data analysis and computational thinking as critical as knowing how to use a pipette.

Follow the Jobs: Why Biology's Best Value is in CA and MA

The heavy clustering of schools in California (5 of the top 20) and Massachusetts (4 of the top 20) is no coincidence. These states host the two largest biotech and pharmaceutical industry hubs in the world. The state university systems, like the CSU and Massachusetts state schools, are perfectly positioned to supply these regional economies with a steady stream of well-trained, affordable talent. For students, this means unparalleled access to internships and a dense network of potential employers right after graduation.

Programs Ranked
822
Avg Earnings
$32,220/yr
Avg DW Score
38/100
AI Risk
High
45% task exposure

All Biology Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 California State University-East Bay
Hayward, CA · Public
63
60–64
$44,370/yr 25.2x
2 Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN · Public
62
58–62
$44,166/yr 18.0x
3 Salem State University
Salem, MA · Public
60
56–61
$45,670/yr 14.4x
4 Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, WV · Public
59
55–59
$49,165/yr 15.8x
5 Purdue University-Main Campus
West Lafayette, IN · Public
59
57–60
$40,145/yr 18.5x
6 California State University-San Marcos
San Marcos, CA · Public
59
57–60
$38,527/yr 23.8x
7 University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Lowell, MA · Public
58
54–58
$46,526/yr 10.7x
8 Worcester State University
Worcester, MA · Public
58
54–58
$44,450/yr 14.0x
9 California State University-Channel Islands
Camarillo, CA · Public
58
56–58
$38,344/yr 24.4x
10 Fitchburg State University
Fitchburg, MA · Public
57
54–58
$41,250/yr 15.0x
11 Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, MN · Public
57
54–57
$42,128/yr 15.4x
12 Bellevue University
Bellevue, NE · Private nonprofit
57
55–58
$40,741/yr 17.7x
13 Miami University-Hamilton
Hamilton, OH · Public
57
56–58
$38,122/yr 22.9x
14 Miami University-Middletown
Middletown, OH · Public
57
56–58
$38,122/yr 22.9x
15 University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI · Public
57
53–57
$45,846/yr 10.4x
16 Utah Valley University
Orem, UT · Public
57
55–57
$38,427/yr 24.8x
17 California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, CA · Public
56
54–56
$37,192/yr 21.3x
18 University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME · Public
56
53–57
$43,722/yr 13.6x
19 University of New Hampshire at Manchester
Manchester, NH · Public
56
53–57
$45,346/yr 10.6x
20 San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA · Public
55
54–56
$36,259/yr 21.7x
21 Colorado State University Pueblo
Pueblo, CO · Public
55
53–55
$38,933/yr 16.2x
22 Governors State University
University Park, IL · Public
55
52–55
$43,641/yr 12.7x
23 Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MA · Public
55
52–56
$44,626/yr 12.6x
24 Westfield State University
Westfield, MA · Public
55
52–55
$42,776/yr 12.6x
25 Winona State University
Winona, MN · Public
55
53–55
$38,666/yr 15.4x
26 University of Missouri-Kansas City
Kansas City, MO · Public
55
53–56
$40,483/yr 13.7x
27 William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ · Public
55
52–56
$42,492/yr 11.2x
28 Rhode Island College
Providence, RI · Public
55
53–56
$39,910/yr 14.6x
29 Utah Tech University
Saint George, UT · Public
55
54–56
$35,979/yr 26.7x
30 University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT · Public
55
53–56
$39,212/yr 16.8x
31 Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA · Public
54
53–55
$34,074/yr 21.5x
32 University of Delaware
Newark, DE · Public
54
52–55
$39,746/yr 11.2x
33 University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Durham, NH · Public
54
51–55
$45,346/yr 8.6x
34 North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · Public
54
53–54
$36,157/yr 18.1x
35 East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg, PA · Public
54
51–55
$43,182/yr 12.7x
36 Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, VA · Public
54
51–55
$43,797/yr 8.7x
37 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
La Crosse, WI · Public
54
53–55
$36,823/yr 17.0x
38 University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Oshkosh, WI · Public
54
52–55
$38,530/yr 17.9x
39 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public
53
52–54
$35,638/yr 15.6x
40 California State University-Chico
Chico, CA · Public
53
52–54
$37,120/yr 18.1x
41 California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA · Public
53
53–54
$35,053/yr 22.2x
42 University of Massachusetts-Boston
Boston, MA · Public
53
50–53
$42,721/yr 10.0x
43 The University of Montana
Missoula, MT · Public
53
50–54
$43,914/yr 14.8x
44 CUNY Hunter College
New York, NY · Public
53
53–53
$30,257/yr 27.7x
45 University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public
53
51–53
$38,716/yr 12.7x
46 University of Washington-Bothell Campus
Bothell, WA · Public
53
51–53
$38,716/yr 12.8x
47 University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma, WA · Public
53
51–53
$38,716/yr 12.5x
48 California State University-Stanislaus
Turlock, CA · Public
52
51–52
$34,358/yr 19.4x
49 California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA · Public
52
51–53
$35,334/yr 19.7x
50 San Diego State University
San Diego, CA · Public
52
52–53
$33,597/yr 20.2x

Scores calculated using College Scorecard, BLS, and AI task-exposure data. See full methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Biology?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score, California State University-East Bay ranks #1 for Biology with a score of 63/100 and graduate earnings of $44,370/yr.
How much do Biology graduates earn?
Across 822 schools, Biology graduates earn an average of $32,220/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $54,223/yr.
Is Biology a good major for AI resistance?
Biology has an average AI task exposure of 45%, rated "High". This field has moderate AI exposure — some career paths are more resilient than others.

See Also