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Berkeley, CA · Biology

Biology at UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley graduates about 1,007 biology majors a year, 12% of its graduating class. That puts it 22nd of 692 schools we score for biology, a standout program at 89 out of 100. Its current catalog lists 355 undergraduate courses in the field, more than 100% of the schools we've counted. Graduates in the major earn a median $71,000 four years out, 1.10× what the same major pays nationally. Research spending in the field runs about $154 million a year, a rough guide to how many labs and projects undergraduates can join.

89/100Standout#22 of 692 for biology →
Graduates a year1,00712% of the class
Courses in the catalog355more than 100% of schools
Median pay 4 years out$71,0001.10× the same major nationally
Research in the field$154Ma year, NSF
Admit rate11%whole school

Around UC Berkeley

Sather Tower
Sather Tower 2013-09-29 13-34-23Photo: EricDLee · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
South Hall is the oldest building on the campus of University of California, Ber
Berkeley - South HallPhoto: roger4336 · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Wheeler Hall
Wheeler Hall - panoramioPhoto: Alexander Gude · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Wheeler Hall Room 150 at UC Berkeley
Wheeler Hall Room 150 at UC Berkeley (54263464661)Photo: Gabriel Classon · CC BY 2.0 · source

Where biology happens

Buildings on campus that fit the field: Natural Resources Laboratory, Genetics & Plant Biology Greenhouse, Donner Laboratory, Social Sciences Building, Genetics and Plant Biology, Valley Life Sciences Building, Calvin Laboratory.

Named buildings on the campus map: Academic 124 · Dorm 27 · Athletics 15 · Student housing 8 · Arts 7 · Library 7.

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Nearby in the biology ranking

  1. University of Pennsylvania 90
  2. Columbia University 90
  3. Wake Forest University 90
  4. University of California San Diego 89
  5. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor 89
  6. University of Pittsburgh 89
  7. University of Rochester 89
  8. Case Western Reserve University 89

Other strong majors at UC Berkeley

How the score works

The score is out of 100 and compares UC Berkeley with every school we score in biology. It weighs the school's overall strength; how many students graduate in the major and what share of the class they are; research spending in the field (NSF); early pay against the same major nationally; how many courses the catalog lists; and test scores. 80+ is a standout program, 65+ strong, 45+ solid. Sources: US Department of Education (College Scorecard, IPEDS), NSF HERD, each school's current course catalog, OpenStreetMap and Wikimedia Commons.

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