The Best Colleges for Biology in Michigan of 2023-2024

Biology is one of the most popular fields of study for college students. Check out the 15 best colleges for biology in Michigan.

The Best Colleges for Biology in Michigan of 2023-2024
Fayette Reynolds

Biology is a highly popular field of study for prospective college students and current ones to embark upon. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), there are over 3.1 million Americans employed in the field of biology. They earn a median annual wage of $65,000, which is better than the median annual wage for all fields of study, $60,000. And studies in biology don’t need to end with a bachelor’s degree. According to the OOH, 58% of those with a biology degree also earned advanced degrees.

Considering its popularity, finding the best colleges for biology is an important criteria when researching different colleges to apply to. Hence, for our study here, BrokeScholar focused on identifying the best colleges for biology in Michigan. We analyzed 89 colleges in Michigan, both public institutions and private, not-for-profit institutions, but excluding for-profit institutions. Sourcing data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), we constructed a list of the best colleges for biology in Michigan for the academic year 2023-2024. (See the methodology section for more details).

Read on to find out the best colleges for biology degrees in Michigan.

Best Colleges for Biology in Michigan 

For our biology degree study, we analyzed all the public and private, not-for-profit colleges in Michigan in terms of various factors. These included the type and number of degrees awarded per academic year in Biology/Biological Sciences, General (terminology provided by the NCES), graduation rates, estimated annual cost of tuition and required fees. Another key factor was the proportion of degrees in biology compared to the student population, so that smaller schools could rank as well and not get overwhelmed by the sheer mass of biology degrees conferred by larger state schools.

In terms of the level of degrees awarded in biology, the top 15 best colleges for biology in Michigan offer a range from postgraduate certificates through doctoral degrees. The level with the most degrees in biology is a bachelor's degree.

So, without further delay, let’s take a closer look at the breakdown of the best colleges for biology in Michigan:

Albion College

Type: 4-year, private not-for-profit

Graduation rate: 64%

Tuition and required fees: $55,115

Located about 40 miles south-southwest of Lansing, Albion College is a small private liberal arts college with an estimated total student population of 1,523, all of them undergraduates. Albion College has a graduation rate of 64%, which is better than the average graduation rate of 45% for all 89 Michigan colleges analyzed in the study. Furthermore, with an admission rate of 69%, Albion College is more selective than the majority of the best colleges for political science in the state, and makes it one of the harder colleges to get into in Michigan

Albion College also features a high proportion of biology degrees compared to undergraduate students, at 2.82%, one of the highest rates in the study. This was a significant factor that contributed to Albion College ranking among the best colleges for biology in Michigan. Since the college is only an undergraduate school, it awards degrees in biology only on the bachelor’s level. These biology programs include:

According to NCES data, the primary biology degrees awarded by Albion College in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 43 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

Alma College

Type: 4-year, private not-for-profit

Graduation rate: 63%

Tuition and required fees$47,430

Alma College is a private Presbyterian liberal arts college located in Alma, Michigan, roughly 55 miles north of the state capital of Lansing. As a small liberal arts college, it has a fairly small student population, with about 1,340 undergraduate students and over 1,350 total students. Alma College has a higher-than-average graduation rate of 63%, significantly better than the 45% average graduation rate for all the Michigan colleges in the study. Alma College also has an undergraduate acceptance rate of 69%, which is comparatively more selective than most colleges in Michigan.

Alma College offers degrees in biology on the bachelor’s level and boasts a comparatively high proportion of biology bachelor’s degrees to its undergraduate population, at 1.72%. The main undergraduate biology programs at Alma College are its Biology Major and Biology Minor.

According to NCES data, the main biology degrees awarded by Alma College in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 23 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

Andrews University

Type: 4-year, private not-for-profit

Graduation rate: 72%

Tuition and required fees$32,734

Andrews University is a private Seventh-day Adventist university in Berrien Springs, originally founded in 1874 as Battle Creek College, whose old birth date makes it the first higher education facility started by Seventh-day Adventists. As a small private college, Andrews University has a modest student population, with about 1,350 undergraduate students and over 2,900 total students. Andrews University has an excellent graduation rate of 72%, far superior to the 45% average graduation rate for all the Michigan colleges in the study.

Several factors helped make Andrews University rank among the best colleges for biology in Michigan. Besides its great graduation rate, Andrews University boasts a high proportion of bachelor’s degrees in biology versus its undergraduate population, at 2.36%, one of the highest rates of degrees-to-undergrads in the whole study. Some of key biology programs offered by the College of Arts & Sciences at the university include:

According to NCES data, the main biology degrees awarded by Andrews University in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 32 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

  • Master’s degrees: 4 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

Calvin University

Type: 4-year, private not-for-profit

Graduation rate: 77%

Tuition and required fees: $38,370

Located in Grand Rapids, as are many Michigan colleges, Calvin University is a private, not-for-profit school that made our list of the best colleges for biology in Michigan. With a total student population of over 3,200, including roughly 3,068 undergraduates, Calvin University’s graduation rate of 77% is one of the highest of colleges in Michigan and also among the highest for the best colleges for biology in the state. With an undergraduate acceptance rate of 75%, Calvin University is also more competitive than most biology colleges to make our top-15 list. 

Calvin University has several academic programs in the field of biology, although all degrees are on the bachelor’s level:

With 35 bachelor’s degrees in biology awarded last academic year, the proportion of biology degrees to undergraduate student population is a comparatively high 1.14%. According to NCES data, the main biology degrees awarded by Calvin University in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 35 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

Grand Valley State University

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 67%

Tuition and required fees$14,652 for in-state | $20,540 for out-of-state

Located in Allendale, Michigan, Grand Valley State University is one of the largest colleges in Michigan, with a total student population of over 22,000, including more than 19,000 undergraduates. In addition to ranking among the best colleges for biology, GVSU is also one of the best colleges for marketing in Michigan. The university has an superb graduation rate of 67%, which is one of the highest graduation rates of colleges in the state and also among the highest for the best colleges for biology in Michigan. Grand Valley State University also awarded a combined 94 degrees in biology in the last academic year.

Grand Valley State University has several academic programs in the field of biology, including:

According to NCES data, the main biology degrees awarded by Grand Valley State in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 80 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

  • Master’s degrees: 14 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

Hillsdale College

Type: 4-year, private not-for-profit

Graduation rate: 88%

Tuition and required fees$30,902

Hillsdale College is a private conservative, Christian liberal arts college in southern central Michigan, originally founded in 1844 by abolitionists known as Free Will Baptists. Despite being located in a remote area of Michigan, Hillsdale College is well-known among conservative political circles, with its educational curriculum emphasizing study of Western heritage as a combination of classical Greco-Roman culture and Christian tradition. Putting politics aside, there’s debate that Hillsdale College has one of the highest graduation rates in Michigan and among the best colleges for biology in the state, at 88%. Hillsdale College is also very competitive to get into, having an undergraduate acceptance rate of only 24%. This highly selective admission rate makes Hillsdale College one of the hardest colleges to get into in Michigan.

Hillsdale only offers biology degrees on the bachelor’s level, including its Bachelor of Science in Biology. With an undergraduate population of a little over 1,500, the proportion of bachelor’s degrees in biology versus its undergraduate student body is a comparatively high 1.32%. According to NCES data, the principal biology degrees awarded by Hillsdale College in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 20 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

Hope College

Type: 4-year, private not-for-profit

Graduation rate: 81%

Tuition and required fees$38,370

Hope College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Holland, which is near the Lower Peninsula’s western coast on Lake Michigan, roughly 30 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. Home to more than 3,100 undergraduate students, Hope College is one of the bigger private, not-for-profit colleges to make our list of the best colleges for biology in Michigan. Boasting a graduation rate of 81%, Hope College’s rate is far and above the Michigan average of 45%. Because the school is totally populated by undergraduates, Hope College only awards biology degrees on the bachelor’s level, including a major in Biology and a minor in Biology

According to NCES data, the principal biology degrees awarded by Hope College in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 32 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

Kalamazoo College

Type: 4-year, private not-for-profit

Graduation rate: 76%

Tuition and required fees$56,001

Kalamazoo College is a private liberal arts college located in, appropriately, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Originally founded in 1833, Kalamazoo College is the oldest private college in Michigan. Home to an undergraduate student population of approximately 1,241 and no graduate students, Kalamazoo College is on the smaller side of private, not-for-profit colleges in our study. Although a small school, Kalamazoo College boasts the highest proportion of biology bachelor’s degrees compared to the undergraduate population, at 5.64%. This exceptionally high ratio was key reason why Kalamazoo College ranks among the best colleges for biology in Michigan. Kalamazoo, in a separate BrokeScholar study, also ranked among the best colleges for political science.

The college’s graduation rate of 76% is also another plus, being much higher than the average graduation rate of 45% for the 89 Michigan colleges analyzed in our study. Since Kalamazoo College only has undergraduate students, it only awards biology degrees on the bachelor’s level. But Kalamazoo offers a well-articulated biology curriculum, including a major in biology as well as related programs in Biochemistry and Biological Physics.

According to NCES data, the main biology degrees awarded by Kalamazoo College in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 70 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

Michigan State University

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 82%

Tuition and required fees: $15,436 for in-state | $42,022 for out-of-state

With a total student population of nearly 49,700 students, Michigan State University is Michigan’s largest college. This total student population includes more than 38,500 undergraduates. Its graduation rate of 82% is outstanding, one of the highest graduation rates of colleges in Michigan as well as among the highest for the best biology colleges in our study. MSU also has one of the best student to teacher ratios of public colleges in the US. 

As a large, public institution, Michigan State boasts a vigorous biology academic department, with multiple degree programs. For students wanting to major in biology, the College of Natural Science is where you’ll do the majority of your studies. With around 38,500 undergrads, the proportion of bachelor’s degrees in biology versus the undergraduate population is quite high for a big public college, at 1.24%. Michigan State University has several academic programs in the field of biology:

According to NCES data, the main biology degrees awarded by Michigan State University in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 477 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

  • Doctoral degrees: 1 awarded Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

Northern Michigan University

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 49%

Tuition and required fees: $12,951 for in-state | $18,483 for out-of-state

Located in Marquette in the Upper Peninsula, astride Lake Superior, Northern Michigan University is a public university, though on the smaller side compared to other Michigan state schools. Its undergraduate student population is a little over 6,600 and its total student population is just over 7,200. With a combined 103 degrees in biology conferred in the last academic year, the proportion of biology degrees to total student population is high, at 1.43%, especially compared to the proportion at other public universities. This factor, along with the university’s affordability and quantity of degrees, helped boost Northern Michigan to rank among the best colleges for biology in Michigan. Some of the main biology programs offered at NMU include:

According to NCES data, the main biology degrees awarded by Northern Michigan in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 95 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

  • Master’s degrees: 8 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

Oakland University

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 56%

Tuition and required fees: $13,934 for in-state | $24,708 for out-of-state

Located in Rochester Hills, Oakland University may be less well-known to non-Michigan residents. Oakland University is a sizable public college, with an undergraduate population of over 13,700 students and a total student population of over 17,000. Enjoying a better-than-average graduation rate of 56%, Oakland University ranks among the top colleges for biology in Michigan. The university offers several levels of degrees that undergraduates and graduate students can pursue degrees in biology, such as:

According to NCES data, the main biology degrees awarded by Oakland University in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 124 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

  • Master’s degrees: 11 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

  • Doctoral degrees: 5 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

University of Detroit Mercy

Type: 4-year, private not-for-profit

Graduation rate: 67%

Tuition and required fees: $15,529

Located in Detroit, as its name suggests, the University of Detroit Mercy is a private Roman Catholic university, originally founded in 1877 and the largest Catholic university in Michigan. Compared to other private schools to make our list of the best colleges for biology in Michigan, the University of Detroit Mercy is on the larger end of the spectrum. It has an undergraduate population of just over 2,900 students and a total student population of only around 5,200. Detroit Mercy boasts a markedly high proportion of bachelor’s degrees in biology compared to its undergraduate population, at 4.82%. The university’s graduation rate of 67% is also well above the study’s average of 45%. The principal bachelor’s program in biology offered through the College of Engineering & Science at the University of Detroit Mercy include:

According to NCES data, the main biology degrees awarded by the University of Detroit Mercy in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 141 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 94%

Tuition and required fees: $16,736 for in-state | $55,334 for out-of-state

Aptly located in Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor is easily the hardest college to get into in Michigan, with an undergraduate admission rate of only 20%. Along with this highly selective acceptance rate, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor has a graduation rate of 94%, which is easily among the highest graduation rates out of all 89 Michigan schools in the study. And, of course, the University of Michigan also ranks as one of the best colleges for biology in Michigan. Although the school only awards biology degrees on the bachelor’s level, UMich’s biology program offers 8 different majors:

According to NCES data, the main biology degrees awarded by UMich in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 213 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

University of Michigan-Dearborn

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 56%

Tuition and required fees$14,320 for in-state | $29,584 for out-of-state

Alongside its fellow University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan at Dearborn also managed to make our list of the best colleges for biology in Michigan. In a separate study, the University of Michigan at Dearborn ranked among the best colleges for psychology in Michigan, as well. With an undergraduate population of over 6,300, the University of Michigan-Dearborn is comparatively small for a public, state school. With a graduation rate of 56%, the University of Michigan-Dearborn bests the study’s overall average graduation rate of 45%. The University of Michigan-Dearborn offers biology degrees only on the bachelor’s level, name a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Biological Sciences.

The University of Michigan at Dearborn has a high proportion of bachelor’s degrees in biology versus its undergraduate population, at 1.72%, which is higher than most public colleges. According to NCES data, the main biology degrees awarded by the University of Michigan-Dearborn in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 109 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

Wayne State University

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 56%

Tuition and required fees: $14,464 for in-state | $30,914 for out-of-state

Wayne State University is a public research university that is located the Motor City, Detroit. Wayne State is one of the bigger colleges in Michigan, with almost 25,000 total students, including more than 16,800 undergraduate students. This makes Wayne State University rank among the top five biggest colleges in Michigan. Wayne State University is much more competitive with its admissions compared to other public institutions, featuring an undergraduate acceptance rate of only 63%. Its graduation rate of 56% is also 11 percentage points higher than the average graduation rate for the study as a whole.

Wayne State University ranked as one of the best colleges for biology in Michigan for a number of reasons; it also ranked among the best sports management colleges in Michigan in a separate BrokeScholar study. In addition to its solid graduation rate and competitive admission rate, Wayne State confers degrees in biology on several levels. Out of its large undergraduate population, the ratio of bachelor’s degrees in biology to the undergraduate population was 1.05%, which is noticeably high for such a large public college. At Wayne State University, you can earn the following degrees in biology through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:

According to NCES data, the main biology degrees awarded by Wayne State University in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 177 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

  • Master’s degrees: 2 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

  • Doctoral degrees: 3 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

The Bottom Line on the Best Colleges for Biology in Michigan

If you’re looking to attend a college in Michigan and major in biology, then you have more than a dozen great options to choose from. The best colleges for biology in Michigan include both big, state colleges as well as smaller private, not-for-profit schools. What’s more, many schools boast high numbers of degrees in biology as well as a high proportions of degrees in biology versus their student populations. The college that awarded the most bachelor’s degrees in biology was Michigan State University, with 477 conferred in the last academic year alone. On the other hand, the school with the highest proportion of bachelor’s degrees in biology compared to its undergraduate student population was Kalamazoo College, at 5.64%. 

Many of these Michigan colleges are affordable, though some of the public schools’ out-of-state tuition can get expensive, such as the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, which has an non-Michigan resident tuition in excess of $55,000 a year. The good news for prospective and current students is that BrokeScholar has a whole library of college scholarships for biology majors. If you win one of these scholarships, you can receive a big help in lessening the cost of attending college, whether it’s on the undergraduate or graduate level.

Methodology

In order to identify the best colleges for biology in Michigan, we analyzed 89 colleges and universities that fit the following criteria:

  • Are private, not-for-profit institutions or public institutions

  • Offer a degree in Biology/Biological Sciences, General, on any degree level ranging from undergraduate certificates to doctoral degrees

These 89 colleges and universities were sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), as was data on their respective undergraduate populations; undergraduate graduation rates; approximate costs of tuition and required fees; the type and number of degrees awarded per academic year in marketing; and the proportion of these degrees to the undergraduate population.

Andrew DePietro

Author: Andrew DePietro

Senior Researcher, and Content Strategist

Andrew DePietro is a finance writer covering topics such as entrepreneurship, investing, real estate and college for BrokeScholar, Forbes, CreditKarma, and more.