# Best Master's in Biology

> CollegeRanker Agent Insights — structured data for AI systems
> Updated: 2026-05-31 | Schools: 50 | Category: Masters
> Source: https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-masters-biology

## Methodology

Master's programs ranked by graduate earnings, mobility, and program concentration in Biology & Biomedical

CollegeRanker uses a 4-pillar algorithm: Academic Quality (15-20%), Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25-35%), Value & Affordability (20-25%). Social mobility data from Raj Chetty's Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (30M+ anonymized tax records). No subjective surveys.

## Summary

When considering a master's degree in biology, prospective students often look for institutions that not only offer strong academic programs but also promise solid outcomes after graduation. The schools listed here are recognized for their concentration in Biology & Biomedical fields, equipping students with the skills needed for a competitive job market. For many, this decision could lead to significant variations in earnings, with average graduate earnings for this category hovering around $88,995.

The schools stand out based on several key metrics: graduate earnings, completion rates, student debt, and mobility after graduation. A high graduation rate and manageable debt can indicate a supportive environment, while strong earnings suggest that graduates are finding stable, well-paying jobs. Below, you'll find a ranking of 50 schools that excel in these areas, making it easier to identify which programs might be the best fit for your goals.

Take Johns Hopkins University and Princeton University, for example. Johns Hopkins graduates earn an average of $87,555, with a 94% graduation rate and a net price of $18,809. In contrast, Princeton's graduates pull in $110,066 on average and maintain a graduation rate of 97%, but with a significantly lower net price of $6,128. This comparison highlights how financial considerations and potential earnings can vary greatly even among top-tier programs, encouraging a closer look at what each school offers.

## Key Findings

- Princeton University graduates earn an average of $110,066, the highest on our list.
- Johns Hopkins has a 94% graduation rate, showing strong student support.
- The average net price across the top five schools is $13,055, indicating varying affordability.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology has the highest average earnings at $143,372.

## Rankings

| Rank | School | Location | Graduation | Earnings (10yr) | Net Price | Median Debt | Debt/Earnings |
|------|--------|----------|------------|-----------------|-----------|-------------|---------------|
| 1 | [Johns Hopkins University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/johns-hopkins-university) | Baltimore, MD | 94% | $87,555 | $18,809 | $10,250 | 0.12x |
| 2 | [Princeton University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/princeton-university) | Princeton, NJ | 97% | $110,066 | $6,128 | $10,320 | 0.09x |
| 3 | [Rice University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/rice-university) | Houston, TX | 95% | $89,718 | $13,370 | $11,000 | 0.12x |
| 4 | [Stanford University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/stanford-university) | Stanford, CA | 92% | $124,080 | $13,807 | $12,000 | 0.1x |
| 5 | [Bowdoin College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bowdoin-college) | Brunswick, ME | 95% | $82,735 | $14,398 | $18,500 | 0.22x |
| 6 | [Harvard University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/harvard-university) | Cambridge, MA | 97% | $101,817 | $19,066 | $14,000 | 0.14x |
| 7 | [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology) | Cambridge, MA | 96% | $143,372 | $20,111 | $14,768 | 0.1x |
| 8 | [University of Chicago](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-chicago) | Chicago, IL | 95% | $91,885 | $14,860 | $15,000 | 0.16x |
| 9 | [University of Pennsylvania](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-pennsylvania) | Philadelphia, PA | 97% | $111,371 | $28,699 | $15,715 | 0.14x |
| 10 | [Pomona College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/pomona-college) | Claremont, CA | 93% | $77,779 | $19,285 | $11,782 | 0.15x |
| 11 | [Amherst College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/amherst-college) | Amherst, MA | 94% | $77,644 | $23,367 | $13,740 | 0.18x |
| 12 | [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill) | Chapel Hill, NC | 92% | $72,200 | $11,655 | $14,000 | 0.19x |
| 13 | [Wellesley College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/wellesley-college) | Wellesley, MA | 91% | $84,803 | $25,496 | $10,000 | 0.12x |
| 14 | [Duke University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/duke-university) | Durham, NC | 96% | $97,800 | $29,612 | $13,000 | 0.13x |
| 15 | [Brown University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/brown-university) | Providence, RI | 96% | $93,487 | $25,184 | $11,428 | 0.12x |
| 16 | [Bates College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bates-college) | Lewiston, ME | 90% | $69,498 | $29,351 | $14,275 | 0.21x |
| 17 | [Cornell University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cornell-university) | Ithaca, NY | 95% | $104,043 | $28,690 | $14,000 | 0.13x |
| 18 | [Davidson College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/davidson-college) | Davidson, NC | 91% | $81,400 | $17,379 | $18,688 | 0.23x |
| 19 | [Haverford College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/haverford-college) | Haverford, PA | 90% | $79,966 | $25,314 | $13,621 | 0.17x |
| 20 | [Williams College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/williams-college) | Williamstown, MA | 95% | $88,665 | $17,716 | $12,761 | 0.14x |
| 21 | [Emory University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/emory-university) | Atlanta, GA | 91% | $80,137 | $22,585 | $18,250 | 0.23x |
| 22 | [Yale University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/yale-university) | New Haven, CT | 96% | $100,533 | $23,777 | $12,975 | 0.13x |
| 23 | [Binghamton University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/binghamton-university) | Vestal, NY | 83% | $80,596 | $21,620 | $18,500 | 0.23x |
| 24 | [Washington University in St Louis](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/washington-university-in-st-louis) | St. Louis, MO | 94% | $86,182 | $21,786 | $17,500 | 0.2x |
| 25 | [Colgate University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/colgate-university) | Hamilton, NY | 91% | $85,139 | $28,786 | $15,000 | 0.18x |
| 26 | [University of Florida](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-florida) | Gainesville, FL | 91% | $71,588 | $6,541 | $15,000 | 0.21x |
| 27 | [Northwestern University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northwestern-university) | Evanston, IL | 96% | $89,363 | $29,167 | $15,000 | 0.17x |
| 28 | [Vanderbilt University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/vanderbilt-university) | Nashville, TN | 93% | $91,565 | $15,846 | $14,000 | 0.15x |
| 29 | [Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/georgia-institute-of-technology-main-campus) | Atlanta, GA | 93% | $102,772 | $12,116 | $21,672 | 0.21x |
| 30 | [Colby College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/colby-college) | Waterville, ME | 89% | $80,490 | $17,180 | $19,157 | 0.24x |
| 31 | [William & Mary](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/william-mary) | Williamsburg, VA | 90% | $73,490 | $19,096 | $18,500 | 0.25x |
| 32 | [Barnard College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/barnard-college) | New York, NY | 93% | $80,516 | $28,800 | $18,000 | 0.22x |
| 33 | [Brigham Young University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/brigham-young-university) | Provo, UT | 82% | $75,790 | $15,564 | $11,069 | 0.15x |
| 34 | [Swarthmore College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/swarthmore-college) | Swarthmore, PA | 93% | $80,257 | $23,149 | $17,500 | 0.22x |
| 35 | [Grinnell College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/grinnell-college) | Grinnell, IA | 88% | $62,830 | $17,648 | $17,500 | 0.28x |
| 36 | [Columbia University in the City of New York](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york) | New York, NY | 96% | $102,491 | $21,590 | $21,500 | 0.21x |
| 37 | [Claremont McKenna College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/claremont-mckenna-college) | Claremont, CA | 93% | $104,736 | $28,849 | $13,500 | 0.13x |
| 38 | [University of Notre Dame](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-notre-dame) | Notre Dame, IN | 96% | $99,980 | $26,780 | $19,000 | 0.19x |
| 39 | [Smith College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/smith-college) | Northampton, MA | 89% | $64,027 | $27,579 | $17,550 | 0.27x |
| 40 | [Washington and Lee University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/washington-and-lee-university) | Lexington, VA | 94% | $94,810 | $23,781 | $19,500 | 0.21x |
| 41 | [Middlebury College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/middlebury-college) | Middlebury, VT | 92% | $76,310 | $31,483 | $13,857 | 0.18x |
| 42 | [California Institute of Technology](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/california-institute-of-technology) | Pasadena, CA | 94% | $128,566 | $16,075 | N/A | N/A |
| 43 | [Hamilton College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/hamilton-college) | Clinton, NY | 91% | $78,411 | $28,985 | $17,000 | 0.22x |
| 44 | [Lafayette College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lafayette-college) | Easton, PA | 88% | $91,410 | $34,433 | $16,000 | 0.18x |
| 45 | [Dartmouth College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/dartmouth-college) | Hanover, NH | 96% | $97,434 | $29,519 | $17,500 | 0.18x |
| 46 | [University of the Pacific](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-the-pacific) | Stockton, CA | 68% | $78,445 | $25,447 | $19,500 | 0.25x |
| 47 | [Kalamazoo College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/kalamazoo-college) | Kalamazoo, MI | 79% | $65,590 | $19,072 | $26,077 | 0.4x |
| 48 | [Boston College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/boston-college) | Chestnut Hill, MA | 91% | $103,937 | $41,704 | $19,000 | 0.18x |
| 49 | [Ursinus College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/ursinus-college) | Collegeville, PA | 75% | $73,721 | $30,536 | $27,000 | 0.37x |
| 50 | [Scripps College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/scripps-college) | Claremont, CA | 85% | $77,539 | $36,294 | $13,500 | 0.17x |

## Data Sources

- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (https://opportunityinsights.org/data)
- Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- NCES IPEDS

## Citation

CollegeRanker. "Best Master's in Biology." CollegeRanker.com, 2026-05-31. https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-masters-biology

## License

This data summary is provided for informational purposes. Underlying data from federal sources (College Scorecard, IPEDS) is public domain. Opportunity Insights data is available under their data use agreement at https://opportunityinsights.org/data/.