The Best Colleges for Biology in Virginia of 2023-2024

Virginia is home to several excellent schools, so find out which colleges are the best for studying biology.

The Best Colleges for Biology in Virginia of 2023-2024
National Cancer Institute

Biology is a highly popular field of study for prospective college students and current students to embark upon. It makes sense considering the wide application biology has to a vast array of fields, whether it’s in engineering, medicine, psychology, product development, and much more. 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. In terms of compensation, these biology workers earn a median annual wage of $65,000, which is higher than the median annual wage for all fields of study, $60,000. Furthermore, studies in biology do not always end with a bachelor’s degree. According to the OOH, 58% of those with a biology degree also earned advanced degrees.

If you have a hankering for studying biology, finding the best colleges for biology is an important criteria when you’re trying to find the college that fits you. Thus, for our study here, BrokeScholar focused on identifying the best colleges for biology in Virginia. We analyzed 55 colleges in Virginia, which are either four-year public institutions or four-year private, not-for-profit institutions, while excluding for-profit institutions and less-than-four-year schools. Sourcing data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), we constructed a list of the best colleges for biology in Virginia 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 Virginia.

Best Colleges for Biology in Virginia 

For our biology degree study, we analyzed all the public and private, not-for-profit colleges in Virginia 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 colleges could get a chance at ranking too because, if only quantity of degrees was considered, then larger state schools would push them out.

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

Therefore, let’s take a closer look at the breakdown of the best colleges for biology in Virginia:

Christopher Newport University

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 75%

Tuition and required fees: $15,785 for in-state | $29,023 for out-of-state

Christopher Newport University is a public university in Newport News, Virginia, which is part of the larger Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News metro area. Though a public college, it has a fairly small student population, with about 4,470 undergraduate students and over 4,580 total students. Christopher Newport University has a higher-than-average graduation rate of 75%, markedly better than the 58% average graduation rate for all the Virginia colleges in the study. And in terms of cost of attendance, its tuition rate for out-of-state students is low at $29,023 a year, whereas other public institutions charge much higher rates for non-resident students.

Christopher Newport University offers degrees in biology on the bachelor’s level and features the second highest proportion of biology bachelor’s degrees to its undergraduate population, at 3.38%, meaning that majoring in biology is very popular at the school. The main undergraduate biology programs offered include:

These two types of bachelor’s degrees, however, cover six different majors: 1) Biology; 2) Cellular, Molecular and Physiological Biology; 3) Environmental Biology; 4) Integrative Biology; 5) Kinesiology; and 6) Organismal Biology. According to NCES data, the main biology degrees awarded by Christopher Newport University in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 151 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

George Mason University

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 70%

Tuition and required fees: $13,402 for in-state | $37,566 for out-of-state

Located in Fairfax, Virginia, George Mason University (GMU) is a public research university, founded fairly recently in 1949. George Mason University is one of Virginia’s biggest colleges, being home to nearly 27,000 undergraduate students and over 38,000 students in total. Even with this size, GMU maintains a solid graduation rate of 70%, which is 12 percentage points higher than the study’s average.  As one of the best colleges for biology in Virginia, GMU offers degrees in biology on several degree levels. The principal biology programs GMU offers includes:

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

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 302 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

  • Master’s degrees: 37 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

Hampden-Sydney College

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

Graduation rate: 65%

Tuition and required fees: $50,740

Hampden–Sydney College (H-SC) is a private liberal arts men's college in Hampden Sydney, Virginia. Established back in 1775, Hampden–Sydney is the oldest privately chartered college in the Southern US and the last college founded before the American Declaration of Independence. Hampden-Sydney is a particularly small liberal arts college, with a total student population of roughly 851, all undergraduates. Though small, Hampden-Sydney College posts great academic credentials, including an above-average graduation rate of 65% and a very competitive admission rate of 37%. Since it only has undergraduate students, Hampen-Sydney offers degrees in biology only on the bachelor’s level. However, the college boasts one of the highest proportions of biology bachelor’s degrees to its undergraduate population, at 2.94%. The main undergraduate biology programs at Hampden-Sydney College are its Biology Major, Biology Minor, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Major.

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

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 25 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

Hampton University

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

Graduation rate: 57%

Tuition and required fees: $29,562

Appropriately located in Hampton, Virginia, Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it is one of the oldest and best HBCU colleges in the US. For a private college, Hampton University is about average size, with over 2,800 undergraduate students and more than 3,300 total students. The university offers degrees in biology on several degree levels, as well as specialized programs. Hampton University also sports a comparatively high proportion of biology bachelor’s degrees to its undergraduate population, at 2.48%. The main biology programs at Hampton University include:

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

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 71 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

  • Master’s degrees: 7 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

James Madison University

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 82%

Tuition and required fees: $13,092 for in-state | $30,152 for out-of-state

James Madison University (JMU) is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. JMU is one of the bigger colleges in Virginia, with over 20,000 undergraduate students and more than 22,000 total students. Despite its large size, JMU still manages to maintain a graduation rate of 82%, which is well above the average graduation rate of 58% for the study overall. James Madison is also particularly affordable for in-state students and even its out-of-state tuition cost is cheaper than many other public Virginia colleges.

In addition to the above factors, what also makes JMU one of the best colleges for biology in Virginia is its multiple programs on offer. Although a large state school, JMU maintains a comparatively high proportion of biology bachelor’s degrees to its undergraduate population, at 1.11%. The main biology programs you can enroll in include:

According to NCES data, the principal biology degrees awarded by James Madison University in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 223 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

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

Old Dominion University

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 49%

Tuition and required fees: $11,630 for in-state | $31,580 for out-of-state

Old Dominion University (ODU) is a public research university in Norfolk, Virginia, which was originally founded in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary. Now, it’s one of the largest universities in Virginia, with nearly 23,500 total students, including over 18,600 undergraduates. Old Dominion offers degrees in biology on the bachelor’s and master’s level. What helps make Old Dominion one of the best colleges for biology in Virginia is its extensive suite of biology programs, including:

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

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 222 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

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

Randolph College

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

Graduation rate: 56%

Tuition and required fees: $29,126

Randolph College is a private liberal arts and sciences college in Lynchburg, Virginia, which was named the biggest college town in Virginia. Originally founded in 1891 as Randolph-Macon Woman's College, it was renamed on July 1, 2007, when it became coed. Randolph College is especially small, even more private liberal arts schools, with a undergraduate population of about 480 students and 550 students in total. Randolph College only offers degrees in biology on the bachelor’s level, but it boasts the highest proportion of biology degrees to undergraduates in the study, at 3.73%. The main undergraduate biology programs at Randolph College include:

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

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 18 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

Randolph-Macon College

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

Graduation rate: 72%

Tuition and required fees: $46,460

Randolph-Macon College is a private liberal arts college in Ashland, Virginia, which was originally founded in 1830, making it the second-oldest Methodist-run college in the US and the oldest in continuous operation. As a small liberal arts college, it has a student population of around 1,500, all of which are undergraduates. Randolph-Macon College has a higher-than-average graduation rate of 72%, significantly better than the 58% average graduation rate for all the Virginia colleges in the study. Randolph-Macon College also has a noticeably low transfer-out rate of just 12%.

Randolph-Macon College offers degrees in biology on the bachelor’s level and boasts one of the highest proportions of biology bachelor’s degrees to its undergraduate population, at 2.8%. The main undergraduate biology programs at Randolph-Macon College are its Biology Major and Biology Minor. What’s especially cool about studying biology at Randolph-Macon College is that, for qualified students, the school offers cooperative agreements for a B.S./M.D. joint degree with Eastern Virginia Medical College (EVMS), Early Selection Program with George Washington University School of Medicine, or Preferred Applicant Track for the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. All of these factors helped make Randolph-Macon rank among the best colleges for biology in Virginia.

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

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 42 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

University of Mary Washington

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 68%

Tuition and required fees: $14,234 for in-state | $31,154 for out-of-state

The University of Mary Washington (UMW) is a public liberal arts university in Fredericksburg, Virginia, originally founded in 1908 as the Fredericksburg Teachers College. Sporting a better-than-average graduation rate of 68%, the University of Mary Washington is pretty small for a public college. It has a total student population of nearly 4,000, including over 3,600 undergraduate students. One of the several factors that helped make UMW rank among the best colleges for biology in Virginia is its high proportion of biology degrees to undergraduate students, at 2.7%, which is one of the highest rates in the study. The University of Mary Washington provides degrees in biology on the bachelor’s level and has a variety of specializations. These programs include:

In addition to those programs, UMW offers its Honors Research Program of the Department of Biological Sciences to the best-of-the-best students. What’s especially awesome is that biology students can study abroad, notably getting to work at the Charles Darwin Research Station. According to NCES data, the main biology degrees awarded by the University of Mary Washington in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 99 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

University of Richmond

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

Graduation rate: 89%

Tuition and required fees: $62,600

Located, unsurprisingly, in Richmond, the University of Richmond (UR) is a private liberal arts college. As a private liberal arts college, it has a medium-sized student population, with about 3,166 undergraduate students and nearly 3,900 total students. The University of Richmond features an exceptional graduation rate of 89%, way better than the 58% average graduation rate for the study as a whole. Moreover, the University of Richmond is very selective, with an undergraduate acceptance rate of 29%, making it one of the hardest colleges to get into in Virginia.

The University of Richmond offers degrees in biology on the bachelor’s level and enjoys a relatively high proportion of biology bachelor’s degrees to its undergraduate population, at 2.02%. The principal undergraduate biology programs at the University of Richmond include:

Students with the right grades can enroll in the school’s Biology Department Honors Program. According to NCES data, the main biology degrees awarded by the University of Richmond in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 64 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

University of Virginia

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 94%

Tuition and required fees: $18,236 for in-state | $54,388 for out-of-state

Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, the University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university that was founded back in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. The university is frequently ranked among the top academic institutions in the US, and it ranked No. 1 as the best college in Virginia in a separate BrokeScholar study. UVA has one of the highest graduation rates of all colleges in Virginia, at 94%, and an undergraduate admission rate of only 21%, making it easily one of the hardest colleges to get into in Virginia. It’s also a fairly large school, with over 17,000 undergraduate students and more than 26,000 total students. Despite its size, UVA still maintains a comparatively high proportion of bachelor’s degrees in biology versus its undergraduate population, at 1.74%.

All of the above factors propelled the University of Virginia to rank among the best colleges for biology in Virginia. UVA offers degrees in biology on the undergraduate and graduate level. The main biology programs on offer at UVA include:

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

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 301 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

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

Virginia Commonwealth University

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 68%

Tuition and required fees: $15,642 for in-state | $37,588 for out-of-state

Located in Virginia’s capital of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university, originally founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, which is a separate college that still exists today. Virginia Commonwealth University ranks among Virginia’s largest colleges, having an undergraduate population of over 21,000 and a total student population of nearly 28,600. 

VCU has a lot going for it as one of the best colleges for biology in Virginia. It has a graduation rate of 68%, which is better than the average graduation rate of 58% for all 55 Virginia colleges analyzed in the study. Furthermore, despite it’s large size, VCU has a high proportion of biology bachelor’s degrees versus its undergraduate population, at 1.91%. This proportion combined with the larger quantity of biology degrees awarded helped VCU rank among the best schools for biology. VCU also ranked as one of the best biomedical engineering schools in the US in a separate BrokeScholar study. The principal biology programs offered by VCU include:

According to NCES data, the primary biology degrees awarded by Virginia Commonwealth University in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 409 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

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

Virginia Military Institute

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 74%

Tuition and required fees: $19,914 for in-state | $49,722 for out-of-state

Located in Lexington, Virginia, the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a public senior military college, established back in 1839 as the US’s first state military college and is the oldest public senior military college in the country. Being a military institute, VMI’s student body is on the small side for a public institution, having a little over 1,600 students, all of them undergraduates. The Virginia Military Institute has solid academic credentials, such as a graduation rate of 74%, which is well above the 58% average graduation rate for the whole study. Its admission rate of 64% makes it much more selective than most public colleges in Virginia. 

Since it only has undergraduate students, VMI therefore offers degrees in biology only on the bachelor’s level. Though, with its small student population, VMI features a comparatively high proportion of biology bachelor’s degrees to undergraduates, at 2.18%. The main undergraduate biology programs at VMI are:

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

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 36 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 87%

Tuition and required fees: $14,666 for in-state | $34,920 for out-of-state

Virginia Tech — or, by its formal name, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State — is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. Though a technical school, Virginia Tech ranks among the biggest colleges in Virginia, with nearly 30,000 undergraduates and over 37,000 students in total. Virginia Tech boasts excellent academic credentials, including a graduation rate of 87%, which is nearly 30 percentage points higher than the 58% average graduation rate for the study overall. With an undergraduate acceptance rate of 56%, Virginia Tech is noticeably more selective with admissions than most Virginia schools. And, in addition to being on the best colleges for biology, Virginia Tech is the No. 1 best veterinary college in Virginia.

Virginia Tech provides biology programs on both the undergraduate and graduate level. The principal biology programs the school offers includes:

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

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 298 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

  • Master’s degrees: 5 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

  • Doctoral degrees: 11 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

William & Mary

Type: 4-year, public institution

Graduation rate: 91%

Tuition and required fees: $23,970 for in-state | $47,196 for out-of-state

With the full name The College of William and Mary in Virginia, William & Mary is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Established in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the US. With a total student population of over 9,500, including more than 6,500 undergraduate students, William & Mary is on the smaller side compared to other public colleges in the state. This translates into a boon for students as William & Mary has one of the best student-to-teacher ratios among public schools. What’s more, the school has an excellent graduation rate of 91%, significantly better than the 58% average graduation rate for all the Virginia colleges in the study. William & Mary also has an undergraduate acceptance rate of 37%, which is much more selective than most colleges in Virginia.

These great overall academic credentials are among several factors that made William & Mary rank among the best colleges for biology in Virginia. The college offers degrees in biology on a couple levels and sports a comparatively high proportion of biology bachelor’s degrees to its undergraduate population, at 1.94%. The main undergraduate biology programs at William & Mary include:

According to NCES data, the principal biology degrees awarded by William & Mary in the last academic year include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees: 127 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General.

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

The Bottom Line on the Best Colleges for Biology in Virginia

If you’re looking to attend a college in Virginia and major in biology, then you have more than a dozen excellent options to choose from. The best colleges for biology in Virginia include both large, state colleges as well as smaller private, not-for-profit schools. Furthermore, many colleges 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 Virginia Commonwealth University, with 409 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 Randolph College, at 3.73%. 

Many of these Virginia colleges are affordable, though some of the public universities’ out-of-state tuition can get expensive, such as the University of Virginia, which has an non-Virginia resident tuition in excess of $54,000 a year. The private colleges, too, can get quite expensive, especially in the case of the University of Richmond, which has a tuition cost of $62,600 per year. Fortunately for prospective and current students, BrokeScholar has a vast library of college scholarships for biology majors. Winning one of these scholarships can lead to a serious reduction the cost of attending college and studying biology, whether it’s on the undergraduate or graduate level.

Methodology

In order to identify the best colleges for biology in Virginia, we analyzed 55 colleges and universities that fit the following criteria:

  • Are four-year, 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 55 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.

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