Best colleges for biology in California

    University of California-Berkeley ranks first in California for biology value (#1 nationally, value score 90.8): graduates earn $79,163 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,538 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 44 California colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best biology colleges in California

    University of California-Berkeley ranks first in California for biology value (#1 nationally, value score 90.8): graduates earn $79,163 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,538 a year. 44 California colleges qualify. At the median one, biology graduates earn $62,094 and the average net price is $14,238 a year.

    Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 44 California colleges qualify. At the median one, biology graduates earn $62,094 and the average net price is $14,238 a year.
    • The highest biology earnings in the state are at University of the Pacific ($83,012), ranked #13 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at California State University-Los Angeles: $2,385 a year.
    Median earnings
    $62,094
    National: $58,001
    Median net price
    $14,238
    National: $18,049
    Median federal debt
    $15,029
    biology graduates
    Public colleges
    29 of 44
    in this list

    44 colleges

    The California ranking

    Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    1. Rank in California 1

      University of California-Berkeley

      Berkeley, CA · Public · #1 nationally

      90.8Value
      Earnings
      $79,163
      Net price
      $14,538
      Federal debt
      $12,000
      Graduation rate
      94%
    2. Rank in California 2

      San Diego State University

      San Diego, CA · Public · #4 nationally

      85.3Value
      Earnings
      $68,861
      Net price
      $13,243
      Federal debt
      $13,812
      Graduation rate
      78%
    3. Rank in California 3

      University of California-Davis

      Davis, CA · Public · #5 nationally

      85.2Value
      Earnings
      $68,120
      Net price
      $14,318
      Federal debt
      $11,500
      Graduation rate
      86%
    4. Rank in California 4

      San Francisco State University

      San Francisco, CA · Public · #10 nationally

      82.7Value
      Earnings
      $74,204
      Net price
      $9,803
      Federal debt
      $15,000
      Graduation rate
      50%
    5. Rank in California 5

      California State University-East Bay

      Hayward, CA · Public · #11 nationally

      82.3Value
      Earnings
      $74,010
      Net price
      $6,858
      Federal debt
      $18,000
      Graduation rate
      49%
    6. Rank in California 6

      University of California-San Diego

      La Jolla, CA · Public · #17 nationally

      80.2Value
      Earnings
      $64,437
      Net price
      $14,794
      Federal debt
      $13,852
      Graduation rate
      86%
    7. Rank in California 7

      California State University-Long Beach

      Long Beach, CA · Public · #20 nationally

      79.0Value
      Earnings
      $61,492
      Net price
      $9,426
      Federal debt
      $12,000
      Graduation rate
      70%
    8. Rank in California 8

      California State University-San Marcos

      San Marcos, CA · Public · #21 nationally

      78.3Value
      Earnings
      $70,789
      Net price
      $10,939
      Federal debt
      $20,629
      Graduation rate
      55%
    9. Rank in California 9

      University of California-Los Angeles

      Los Angeles, CA · Public · #22 nationally

      78.1Value
      Earnings
      $61,804
      Net price
      $14,659
      Federal debt
      $12,898
      Graduation rate
      93%
    10. Rank in California 10

      University of California-Santa Barbara

      Santa Barbara, CA · Public · #23 nationally

      77.9Value
      Earnings
      $64,520
      Net price
      $16,807
      Federal debt
      $11,516
      Graduation rate
      84%
    11. Rank in California 11

      California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

      San Luis Obispo, CA · Public · #24 nationally

      77.7Value
      Earnings
      $69,854
      Net price
      $18,832
      Federal debt
      $18,576
      Graduation rate
      87%
    12. Rank in California 12

      California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

      Pomona, CA · Public · #26 nationally

      77.0Value
      Earnings
      $61,688
      Net price
      $9,404
      Federal debt
      $14,800
      Graduation rate
      68%
    13. Rank in California 13

      University of the Pacific

      Stockton, CA · Private nonprofit · #32 nationally

      76.0Value
      Earnings
      $83,012
      Net price
      $24,186
      Federal debt
      $18,750
      Graduation rate
      73%
    14. Rank in California 14

      California State University-Chico

      Chico, CA · Public · #35 nationally

      75.2Value
      Earnings
      $71,726
      Net price
      $14,157
      Federal debt
      $22,984
      Graduation rate
      60%
    15. Rank in California 15

      California State University-Channel Islands

      Camarillo, CA · Public · #44 nationally

      74.3Value
      Earnings
      $62,384
      Net price
      $8,534
      Federal debt
      $15,000
      Graduation rate
      55%
    16. Rank in California 16

      University of California-Santa Cruz

      Santa Cruz, CA · Public · #65 nationally

      72.9Value
      Earnings
      $65,036
      Net price
      $18,549
      Federal debt
      $15,000
      Graduation rate
      74%
    17. Rank in California 17

      University of California-Merced

      Merced, CA · Public · #81 nationally

      71.6Value
      Earnings
      $59,249
      Net price
      $11,583
      Federal debt
      $13,500
      Graduation rate
      68%
    18. Rank in California 18

      California State University-Sacramento

      Sacramento, CA · Public · #83 nationally

      71.3Value
      Earnings
      $61,775
      Net price
      $11,186
      Federal debt
      $15,057
      Graduation rate
      54%
    19. Rank in California 19

      California State University-Stanislaus

      Turlock, CA · Public · #92 nationally

      70.5Value
      Earnings
      $59,229
      Net price
      $3,565
      Federal debt
      $12,734
      Graduation rate
      52%
    20. Rank in California 20

      California State University-Northridge

      Northridge, CA · Public · #96 nationally

      70.0Value
      Earnings
      $59,100
      Net price
      $6,346
      Federal debt
      $14,930
      Graduation rate
      57%
    21. Rank in California 21

      Loyola Marymount University

      Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · #100 nationally

      69.7Value
      Earnings
      $80,317
      Net price
      $50,518
      Federal debt
      $18,500
      Graduation rate
      79%
    22. Rank in California 22

      University of California-Riverside

      Riverside, CA · Public · #102 nationally

      69.6Value
      Earnings
      $58,339
      Net price
      $12,672
      Federal debt
      $15,616
      Graduation rate
      75%
    23. Rank in California 23

      California State University-Bakersfield

      Bakersfield, CA · Public · #112 nationally

      68.6Value
      Earnings
      $58,885
      Net price
      $4,001
      Federal debt
      $12,000
      Graduation rate
      48%
    24. Rank in California 24

      University of California-Irvine

      Irvine, CA · Public · #125 nationally

      67.6Value
      Earnings
      $56,273
      Net price
      $13,866
      Federal debt
      $13,000
      Graduation rate
      87%
    25. Rank in California 25

      California State University-San Bernardino

      San Bernardino, CA · Public · #139 nationally

      66.7Value
      Earnings
      $56,799
      Net price
      $3,946
      Federal debt
      $11,000
      Graduation rate
      53%
    26. Rank in California 26

      University of Southern California

      Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · #160 nationally

      64.1Value
      Earnings
      $63,125
      Net price
      $33,056
      Federal debt
      $14,291
      Graduation rate
      90%
    27. Rank in California 27

      Westmont College

      Santa Barbara, CA · Private nonprofit · #185 nationally

      61.8Value
      Earnings
      $75,889
      Net price
      $29,343
      Federal debt
      $26,949
      Graduation rate
      68%
    28. Rank in California 28

      California State University-Monterey Bay

      Seaside, CA · Public · #187 nationally

      61.8Value
      Earnings
      $55,654
      Net price
      $13,861
      Federal debt
      $11,000
      Graduation rate
      63%
    29. Rank in California 29

      Sonoma State University

      Rohnert Park, CA · Public · #189 nationally

      61.7Value
      Earnings
      $56,345
      Net price
      $10,759
      Federal debt
      $15,000
      Graduation rate
      55%
    30. Rank in California 30

      Dominican University of California

      San Rafael, CA · Private nonprofit · #191 nationally

      61.6Value
      Earnings
      $75,913
      Net price
      $35,567
      Federal debt
      $26,938
      Graduation rate
      73%
    31. Rank in California 31

      Point Loma Nazarene University

      San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit · #202 nationally

      60.8Value
      Earnings
      $65,365
      Net price
      $40,555
      Federal debt
      $18,500
      Graduation rate
      77%
    32. Rank in California 32

      California State University-Los Angeles

      Los Angeles, CA · Public · #217 nationally

      59.7Value
      Earnings
      $53,908
      Net price
      $2,385
      Federal debt
      $15,000
      Graduation rate
      55%
    33. Rank in California 33

      Chapman University

      Orange, CA · Private nonprofit · #227 nationally

      59.1Value
      Earnings
      $64,461
      Net price
      $46,708
      Federal debt
      $19,250
      Graduation rate
      83%
    34. Rank in California 34

      California Lutheran University

      Thousand Oaks, CA · Private nonprofit · #242 nationally

      58.6Value
      Earnings
      $64,939
      Net price
      $26,445
      Federal debt
      $21,875
      Graduation rate
      69%
    35. Rank in California 35

      University of San Francisco

      San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · #256 nationally

      57.4Value
      Earnings
      $69,440
      Net price
      $30,496
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      66%
    36. Rank in California 36

      California State University-Fresno

      Fresno, CA · Public · #271 nationally

      56.2Value
      Earnings
      $50,728
      Net price
      $5,418
      Federal debt
      $13,500
      Graduation rate
      58%
    37. Rank in California 37

      University of Redlands

      Redlands, CA · Private nonprofit · #307 nationally

      53.5Value
      Earnings
      $66,639
      Net price
      $30,924
      Federal debt
      $24,460
      Graduation rate
      65%
    38. Rank in California 38

      California State University-Dominguez Hills

      Carson, CA · Public · #322 nationally

      52.4Value
      Earnings
      $54,405
      Net price
      $7,244
      Federal debt
      $17,500
      Graduation rate
      42%
    39. Rank in California 39

      University of San Diego

      San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit · #339 nationally

      51.2Value
      Earnings
      $59,950
      Net price
      $29,539
      Federal debt
      $21,403
      Graduation rate
      81%
    40. Rank in California 40

      Occidental College

      Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · #358 nationally

      49.6Value
      Earnings
      $59,985
      Net price
      $37,470
      Federal debt
      $20,500
      Graduation rate
      79%
    41. Rank in California 41

      California Polytechnic State University-Humboldt

      Arcata, CA · Public · #377 nationally

      47.8Value
      Earnings
      $55,707
      Net price
      $13,751
      Federal debt
      $19,500
      Graduation rate
      44%
    42. Rank in California 42

      University of La Verne

      La Verne, CA · Private nonprofit · #410 nationally

      44.7Value
      Earnings
      $58,897
      Net price
      $20,523
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      61%
    43. Rank in California 43

      Biola University

      La Mirada, CA · Private nonprofit · #447 nationally

      41.7Value
      Earnings
      $60,014
      Net price
      $32,530
      Federal debt
      $25,250
      Graduation rate
      68%
    44. Rank in California 44

      California Baptist University

      Riverside, CA · Private nonprofit · #601 nationally

      27.3Value
      Earnings
      $52,118
      Net price
      $24,138
      Federal debt
      $23,617
      Graduation rate
      60%

    Method: the same value score as the national biology ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.

    Questions about biology colleges in California

    What are the best colleges for biology in California?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 California colleges for biology are University of California-Berkeley (value score 90.8), San Diego State University (value score 85.3) and University of California-Davis (value score 85.2). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which California college has the highest earnings for biology graduates?

    University of the Pacific: its biology graduates have median earnings of $83,012 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable biology college in California on this list?

    California State University-Los Angeles has the lowest average net price of the ranked California colleges, $2,385 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many California colleges are ranked for biology?

    44 California colleges have a biology bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within California.