by our College Data Analytics Team
[General Biology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/general-biology/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 100 schools on the early-career earnings of their general biology graduates.
What’s on this page:
The right general biology school can pay off in your paycheck for years to come. To help, we created our Highest Paid General Biology Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its general biology graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
We offer a number of rankings, including this Highest Paid General Biology Graduates list, to help you decide. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about our methodology
Below are the schools whose general biology graduates go on to earn the most.
Fairfield University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid general biology graduates in the United States. Fairfield University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Fairfield. Early-career general biology graduates from Fairfield University make a median of around $85,315 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Mission College earned it the #2 place for general biology. Mission College is a public school located in the city of Santa Clara. Early-career general biology graduates from Mission College make a median of around $82,066 per year.
Saint Marys University Of Minnesota came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general biology schools. Set in the town of Winona, Saint Marys University Of Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, general biology degree recipients from Saint Marys University Of Minnesota typically earn about $84,852 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Massachusetts Institute Of Technology earned it the #4 place for general biology. Located in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the general biology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $82,813.
Students chasing top earnings in general biology will find them at San Jose State University, which ranked #5. San Jose State University is a public school located in the city of San Jose. After graduating, general biology degree recipients from San Jose State University typically earn about $79,095 annually.
1
2
3
4
5
Florida Institute Of Technology came in at #6 for general biology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Melbourne, Florida Institute Of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the general biology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $79,013.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for general biology. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Troy. Early-career general biology graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute make a median of around $77,153 per year.
Hofstra University came in at #8 for general biology graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Hempstead, Hofstra University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career general biology graduates from Hofstra University make a median of around $76,485 per year.
Saint Marys College landed the #9 spot for general biology salaries this year. Set in the suburb of Notre Dame, Saint Marys College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, general biology degree recipients from Saint Marys College typically earn about $76,403 annually.
Wheaton College Illinois earned the #10 position for general biology graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, general biology degree recipients from Wheaton College Illinois typically earn about $76,296 annually.
Stanford University landed the #11 spot for general biology salaries this year. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Stanford. General Biology graduates of Stanford University earn a median of about $76,182 a year early in their careers.
Northwestern University earned the #12 position for general biology graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution. General Biology graduates of Northwestern University earn a median of about $76,013 a year early in their careers.
Neumann University came in at #13 for general biology graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Aston, Neumann University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, general biology degree recipients from Neumann University typically earn about $75,119 annually.
Bradley University placed #14 among the highest-paying schools for general biology. Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career general biology graduates from Bradley University make a median of around $74,054 per year.
Chatham University placed #15 among the highest-paying schools for general biology. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Chatham University is a private not-for-profit institution. General Biology graduates of Chatham University earn a median of about $72,132 a year early in their careers.
College Of Mount St Joseph ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general biology schools. Located in the suburb of Cincinnati, College Of Mount St Joseph is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, general biology degree recipients from College Of Mount St Joseph typically earn about $70,281 annually.
Regis University came in at #17 for general biology graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Denver, Regis University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the general biology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $70,262.
Ouachita Baptist University came in at #18 for general biology graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Arkadelphia, Ouachita Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. General Biology graduates of Ouachita Baptist University earn a median of about $69,601 a year early in their careers.
Saint Thomas Aquinas College came in at #19 for general biology graduate earnings this year. Saint Thomas Aquinas College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Sparkill. After graduating, general biology degree recipients from Saint Thomas Aquinas College typically earn about $69,240 annually.
Messiah College placed #20 among the highest-paying schools for general biology. Messiah College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Mechanicsburg. General Biology graduates of Messiah College earn a median of about $68,760 a year early in their careers.
University Of St Francis landed the #21 spot for general biology salaries this year. Set in the suburb of Joliet, University Of St Francis is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, general biology degree recipients from University Of St Francis typically earn about $68,692 annually.
North Central College ranked #22 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general biology schools. Located in the city of Naperville, North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the general biology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $68,342.
Depauw University earned the #23 position for general biology graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Greencastle, Depauw University is a private not-for-profit institution. General Biology graduates of Depauw University earn a median of about $68,322 a year early in their careers.
Nebraska Wesleyan University placed #24 among the highest-paying schools for general biology. Nebraska Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lincoln. Students who complete the general biology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $68,036.
Dyouville College landed the #25 spot for general biology salaries this year. Dyouville College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Buffalo. After graduating, general biology degree recipients from Dyouville College typically earn about $67,763 annually.
These schools also send general biology graduates into strong-paying careers this year:
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
These institutions also earned high marks for general biology graduate pay:
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries general biology graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 100 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.