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Chapel Hill, NC · Biology

Biology at UNC

UNC graduates about 740 biology majors a year, 15% of its graduating class. That puts it 11th of 692 schools we score for biology, a standout program at 92 out of 100. Its current catalog lists 229 undergraduate courses in the field, more than 99% of the schools we've counted. Graduates in the major earn a median $53,000 four years out, 1.08× what the same major pays nationally. Research spending in the field runs about $697 million a year, a rough guide to how many labs and projects undergraduates can join.

92/100Standout#11 of 692 for biology →
Graduates a year74015% of the class
Courses in the catalog229more than 99% of schools
Median pay 4 years out$53,0001.08× the same major nationally
Research in the field$697Ma year, NSF
Admit rate17%whole school
SAT middle 50%1350–1530whole school

Around UNC

Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Carolina Center for Genome Sciences UNCCH 20140901Photo: Bbfd · CC0 · source
Student & Academic Services Buildings (SASB) South, University of North Caro
Student & Academic Services Buildings South UNCCH 20140830Photo: Bbfd · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
South Campus Study Commons, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
South Campus Study Commons interior UNCCH 20141010Photo: Bbfd · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Hardin Residence Hall at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Hardin Residence Hall at UNCPhoto: Mx. Granger · CC0 · source

Where biology happens

Buildings on campus that fit the field: William Rand Kenan Junior Laboratory, Morehead Laboratory, Genome Sciences Building, NC Area Health Education Cener, Issac M. Taylor Medical Biomolecular Research Building, Health Science Library, Baity Environmental Research Laboratory, UNC Medical Center, Medical School Wings, Medical School Building 52, Taylor Student Health Center, Koury Oral Health Sciences Building.

Named buildings on the campus map: Academic 100 · Dorm 53 · Athletics 14 · Arts 7 · Library 4 · Offices 2.

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Nearby in the biology ranking

  1. Tufts University 93
  2. Rice University 93
  3. Yale University 93
  4. Princeton University 93
  5. Boston College 92
  6. University of Chicago 92
  7. University of Wisconsin–Madison 91
  8. University of Notre Dame 91

Other strong majors at UNC

How the score works

The score is out of 100 and compares UNC 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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