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La Jolla, CA · Biology

Biology at UC San Diego

UC San Diego graduates about 1,642 biology majors a year, 19% 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 166 undergraduate courses in the field, more than 97% of the schools we've counted. Graduates in the major earn a median $68,000 four years out, 1.11× what the same major pays nationally. Research spending in the field runs about $685 million a year, a rough guide to how many labs and projects undergraduates can join.

89/100Standout#22 of 692 for biology →
Graduates a year1,64219% of the class
Courses in the catalog166more than 97% of schools
Median pay 4 years out$68,0001.11× the same major nationally
Research in the field$685Ma year, NSF
Admit rate29%whole school

Around UC San Diego

Charles Lee Powell Structural Systems Laboratory at UCSD
Charles Lee Powell Structural Systems LaboratoryPhoto: Alan Islas · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Atkinson Hall at the University of California, San Diego, housing the Qualcomm I
Qualcomm InstitutePhoto: TritonsRising · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Bear
Bear (2)Photo: SheepTester · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Earl Warren College
Earl Warren College 5 2017-10-19Photo: FASTILY · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Where biology happens

Buildings on campus that fit the field: Social Sciences Research Building, Cognitive Science Building, BFS Laboratory and Growing Rooms, Charles Lee Powell Structural Systems Laboratory, Student Health Services, West Health Institute, Science and Engineering Research Facility, Social Sciences Public Engagement Building.

Named buildings on the campus map: Student housing 63 · Academic 62 · Dorm 38 · Athletics 10 · Dining 7 · Library 5.

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Nearby in the biology ranking

  1. University of California, Los Angeles 90
  2. University of Pennsylvania 90
  3. Columbia University 90
  4. Wake Forest University 90
  5. University of California, Berkeley 89
  6. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor 89
  7. University of Pittsburgh 89
  8. University of Rochester 89

Other strong majors at UC San Diego

How the score works

The score is out of 100 and compares UC San Diego 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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