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Best Biology & Biomedical Programs 2026

Top biology and biomedical programs ranked by earnings. Compare schools for life sciences degrees.

25 programs ranked

$42,818 avg salary

15 public schools

View as table

Rank	Program	School	State	Median Salary	Annual Cost	Value Score	Break-Even
1	Biomedical/Medical Engineering	The University of Texas at Austin	TX	$69,298	$19,857/yr	96/100	2.2 yr
2	Biomedical/Medical Engineering	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	NY	$63,784	$33,139/yr	87/100	4.2 yr
3	Biomedical/Medical Engineering	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	$63,620	$16,928/yr	93/100	2.2 yr
4	Biomedical/Medical Engineering	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	NC	$56,387	$12,983/yr	90/100	2.2 yr
5	Biomedical/Medical Engineering	University of California-Berkeley	CA	$53,573	$13,481/yr	89/100	2.5 yr
6	Biomedical/Medical Engineering	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	MA	$46,651	$19,813/yr	83/100	5.1 yr
7	Biology, General	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	MA	$46,373	$19,813/yr	82/100	5.2 yr
8	Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	NY	$46,292	$33,139/yr	59/100	8.7 yr
9	Biomedical/Medical Engineering	Ohio State University-Main Campus	OH	$45,967	$17,339/yr	81/100	4.8 yr
10	Neurobiology and Neurosciences	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	MA	$43,562	$19,813/yr	80/100	6.2 yr
11	Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences	Harvard University	MA	$43,328	$19,066/yr	80/100	6.1 yr
12	Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology	Harvard University	MA	$41,939	$19,066/yr	78/100	6.8 yr
13	Human Biology	Stanford University	CA	$40,010	$12,136/yr	79/100	5.3 yr
14	Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	Michigan State University	MI	$36,979	$20,751/yr	59/100	13.1 yr
15	Biology, General	Stanford University	CA	$36,722	$12,136/yr	74/100	7.9 yr
16	Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	Indiana University-Bloomington	IN	$36,680	$16,264/yr	68/100	10.8 yr
17	Neurobiology and Neurosciences	Harvard University	MA	$36,334	$19,066/yr	65/100	12.8 yr
18	Biology, General	University of California-Berkeley	CA	$36,294	$13,481/yr	72/100	9.3 yr
19	Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences	University of California-Berkeley	CA	$35,329	$13,481/yr	69/100	11 yr
20	Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	$34,941	$16,928/yr	62/100	15.2 yr
21	Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other	Indiana University-Bloomington	IN	$33,769	$16,264/yr	55/100	19.1 yr
22	Neurobiology and Neurosciences	The University of Texas at Austin	TX	$31,273	$19,857/yr	43/100	68.3 yr
23	Biology, General	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	$30,913	$16,928/yr	49/100	82.3 yr
24	Botany/Plant Biology	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	$30,520	$16,928/yr	48/100	144.6 yr
25	Biology, General	The University of Texas at Austin	TX	$29,918	$19,857/yr	40/100	N/A

Biomedical/Medical Engineering

96/100Public

The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX

$69,298 median salary$19,857/yr net cost2.2 yr break-even+131% vs. HS diploma

Biomedical/Medical Engineering

87/100

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Troy, NY

$63,784 median salary$33,139/yr net cost4.2 yr break-even+113% vs. HS diploma

Biomedical/Medical Engineering

93/100Public

University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI

$63,620 median salary$16,928/yr net cost2.2 yr break-even+112% vs. HS diploma

Biomedical/Medical Engineering

90/100Public

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, NC

$56,387 median salary$12,983/yr net cost2.2 yr break-even+88% vs. HS diploma

Biomedical/Medical Engineering

89/100Public

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$53,573 median salary$13,481/yr net cost2.5 yr break-even+79% vs. HS diploma

Biomedical/Medical Engineering

83/100

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA

$46,651 median salary$19,813/yr net cost5.1 yr break-even+56% vs. HS diploma

Biology, General

82/100

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA

$46,373 median salary$19,813/yr net cost5.2 yr break-even+55% vs. HS diploma

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology

59/100

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Troy, NY

$46,292 median salary$33,139/yr net cost8.7 yr break-even+54% vs. HS diploma

Biomedical/Medical Engineering

81/100Public

Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH

$45,967 median salary$17,339/yr net cost4.8 yr break-even+53% vs. HS diploma

Neurobiology and Neurosciences

80/100

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA

$43,562 median salary$19,813/yr net cost6.2 yr break-even+45% vs. HS diploma

Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences

80/100

Harvard University · Cambridge, MA

$43,328 median salary$19,066/yr net cost6.1 yr break-even+44% vs. HS diploma

Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology

78/100

Harvard University · Cambridge, MA

$41,939 median salary$19,066/yr net cost6.8 yr break-even+40% vs. HS diploma

Human Biology

79/100

Stanford University · Stanford, CA

$40,010 median salary$12,136/yr net cost5.3 yr break-even+33% vs. HS diploma

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology

59/100Public

Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI

$36,979 median salary$20,751/yr net cost13.1 yr break-even+23% vs. HS diploma

Biology, General

74/100

Stanford University · Stanford, CA

$36,722 median salary$12,136/yr net cost7.9 yr break-even+22% vs. HS diploma

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology

68/100Public

Indiana University-Bloomington · Bloomington, IN

$36,680 median salary$16,264/yr net cost10.8 yr break-even+22% vs. HS diploma

Neurobiology and Neurosciences

65/100

Harvard University · Cambridge, MA

$36,334 median salary$19,066/yr net cost12.8 yr break-even+21% vs. HS diploma

Biology, General

72/100Public

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$36,294 median salary$13,481/yr net cost9.3 yr break-even+21% vs. HS diploma

Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences

69/100Public

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$35,329 median salary$13,481/yr net cost11 yr break-even+18% vs. HS diploma

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology

62/100Public

University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI

$34,941 median salary$16,928/yr net cost15.2 yr break-even+16% vs. HS diploma

Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other

55/100Public

Indiana University-Bloomington · Bloomington, IN

$33,769 median salary$16,264/yr net cost19.1 yr break-even+13% vs. HS diploma

Neurobiology and Neurosciences

43/100Public

The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX

$31,273 median salary$19,857/yr net cost68.3 yr break-even+4% vs. HS diploma

Biology, General

49/100Public

University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI

$30,913 median salary$16,928/yr net cost82.3 yr break-even+3% vs. HS diploma

Botany/Plant Biology

48/100Public

University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI

$30,520 median salary$16,928/yr net cost144.6 yr break-even+2% vs. HS diploma

Biology, General

40/100Public

The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX

$29,918 median salary$19,857/yr net cost+0% vs. HS diploma

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Compare Schools Side by Side

See how different biology & biomedical programs stack up on cost, salary, and graduation rates.

Compare Schools Overall Rankings

Rankings are based on data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Programs are ranked by median earnings 1 year after completion. Data reflects bachelor's degree programs only.