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Madison, WI · Biology

Biology at Wisconsin

Wisconsin graduates about 1,223 biology majors a year, 16% of its graduating class. That puts it 14th of 692 schools we score for biology, a standout program at 91 out of 100. Its current catalog lists 143 undergraduate courses in the field, more than 95% of the schools we've counted. Graduates in the major earn a median $65,000 four years out, 1.09× what the same major pays nationally. Research spending in the field runs about $555 million a year, a rough guide to how many labs and projects undergraduates can join.

91/100Standout#14 of 692 for biology →
Graduates a year1,22316% of the class
Courses in the catalog143more than 95% of schools
Median pay 4 years out$65,0001.09× the same major nationally
Research in the field$555Ma year, NSF
Admit rate45%whole school
SAT middle 50%1340–1510whole school

Around Wisconsin

Horticulture and Agricultural Physics and Soil Science Building
Horticulture and Agricultural Physics and Soil Science Building - panoramioPhoto: Corey Coyle · CC BY 3.0 · source
By Babcock Hall at Linden Drive / Babcock Drive on the University of Wisconsin–M
Plaque about the first reliable test of milk quality (53939412283)Photo: Chris Rycroft from Madison, Wisconsin, United States · CC BY 2.0 · source
Babcock Hall
Babcock Hall - panoramioPhoto: Corey Coyle · CC BY 3.0 · source
Hiram Smith Hall and Annex
Hiram Smith Hall and Annex - panoramioPhoto: Corey Coyle · CC BY 3.0 · source

Where biology happens

Buildings on campus that fit the field: Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory, Biotron Laboratory, Poultry Research Laboratory, Livestock Laboratory, Hanson Biomedical Sciences Building, Agricultural Engineering Laboratory, Russell Laboratories, Plant Sciences, DeLuca Biochemistry Laboratories, Muscle & Meat Science Research Laboratory, Medical Sciences, Bardeen Medical Laboratories.

Named buildings on the campus map: Academic 145 · Dorm 28 · Student housing 23 · Athletics 12 · Arts 7 · Chapel 6.

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Nearby in the biology ranking

  1. Princeton University 93
  2. University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill 92
  3. Boston College 92
  4. University of Chicago 92
  5. University of Notre Dame 91
  6. Brandeis University 91
  7. Middlebury College 91
  8. University of California, Los Angeles 90

Other strong majors at Wisconsin

How the score works

The score is out of 100 and compares Wisconsin 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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