Best colleges for Biology in New York
Ranked by graduate earnings
Hamilton College, Columbia University and Clarkson University are the top bachelor's Biology programs in New York by graduate earnings. Hamilton College leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $43,639, College Scorecard. New York University, Stony Brook University and Binghamton University award the most Biology degrees in New York: 552, 543 and 519 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 105 New York colleges offer Biology and award 7,048 degrees and certificates a year in all.
The Biology program, also known as Biology, General, is designed for students interested in the scientific study of life and living organisms. This broad natural science encompasses various fields, focusing on the structure, function,…
Top 10 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings
Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamilton College Clinton Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $43,639 | 41 | 91% | $20,680 | $17,000 |
| 2 | Columbia University New York Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $40,935 | 131 | 96% | $15,315 | $19,892 |
| 3 | Clarkson University Potsdam Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $39,807 | 29 | 75% | $27,281 | $27,000 |
| 4 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York Public · Bachelor's degree | $37,834 | 42 | 72% | — | — |
| 5 | Vassar College Poughkeepsie Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $37,802 | 45 | 91% | $29,107 | $19,000 |
| 6 | SUNY Brockport Brockport Public · Bachelor's degree | $37,433 | 23 | 55% | — | $27,000 |
| 7 | Manhattan University Riverdale Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $35,293 | 29 | 64% | $26,807 | $25,000 |
| 8 | Syracuse University Syracuse Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $34,841 | 124 | 84% | $28,851 | $27,000 |
| 9 | Colgate University Hamilton Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $34,796 | 37 | 91% | $22,903 | $14,730 |
| 10 | Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $34,630 | 78 | 70% | $28,133 | $24,000 |
Top certificate or associate program
Shorter credentials, ranked separately so they are not compared with four-year degrees. Ranked by median earnings one year after completion (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY Kingsborough Community College Brooklyn Public · Associate degree | $26,171 | 52 | 28% | — | $9,241 |
Colleges awarding the most Biology degrees in New York
Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York University New York Private not-for-profit | 552 | $30,913 |
| 2 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook Public | 543 | $25,253 |
| 3 | Binghamton University Vestal Public | 519 | $25,016 |
| 4 | University at Buffalo Buffalo Public | 313 | $29,892 |
| 5 | Cornell University Ithaca Private not-for-profit | 309 | $34,500 |
| 6 | St. John's University - New York Queens Private not-for-profit | 292 | $23,473 |
| 7 | University of Rochester Rochester Private not-for-profit | 276 | $34,390 |
| 8 | University at Albany Albany Public | 200 | $32,099 |
| 9 | CUNY Hunter College New York Public | 174 | $30,257 |
| 10 | CUNY City College New York Public | 170 | $28,324 |
ShowHide the other 95 New York colleges offering Biology
| Institution | City | Control | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Institute of Technology | Old Westbury | Private not-for-profit | 146 |
| Columbia University | New York | Private not-for-profit | 131 |
| Adelphi University | Garden City | Private not-for-profit | 125 |
| Syracuse University | Syracuse | Private not-for-profit | 124 |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Graduate only) | New York | Private not-for-profit | 121 |
| Fordham University | Bronx | Private not-for-profit | 119 |
| College of Staten Island CUNY | Staten Island | Public | 109 |
| Touro University | New York | Private not-for-profit | 104 |
| Long Island University | Brookville | Private not-for-profit | 103 |
| CUNY Brooklyn College | Brooklyn | Public | 97 |
| SUNY College at Geneseo | Geneseo | Public | 90 |
| CUNY Medgar Evers College | Brooklyn | Public | 78 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester | Private not-for-profit | 78 |
| Marist University | Poughkeepsie | Private not-for-profit | 74 |
| Yeshiva University | New York | Private not-for-profit | 73 |
| Le Moyne College | Syracuse | Private not-for-profit | 70 |
| CUNY Lehman College | Bronx | Public | 68 |
| Hofstra University | Hempstead | Private not-for-profit | 65 |
| SUNY Old Westbury | Old Westbury | Public | 64 |
| State University of New York at Plattsburgh | Plattsburgh | Public | 62 |
| Farmingdale State College | Farmingdale | Public | 61 |
| State University of New York at Cortland | Cortland | Public | 58 |
| CUNY Kingsborough Community College | Brooklyn | Public | 52 |
| St Lawrence University | Canton | Private not-for-profit | 51 |
| Siena University | Loudonville | Private not-for-profit | 50 |
| SUNY Buffalo State University | Buffalo | Public | 50 |
| State University of New York at New Paltz | New Paltz | Public | 50 |
| St. John Fisher University | Rochester | Private not-for-profit | 49 |
| State University of New York at Oswego | Oswego | Public | 49 |
| St. Francis College | Brooklyn | Private not-for-profit | 47 |
| Vassar College | Poughkeepsie | Private not-for-profit | 45 |
| The Rockefeller University (Graduate only) | New York | Private not-for-profit | 43 |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | New York | Public | 42 |
| CUNY LaGuardia Community College | Long Island City | Public | 42 |
| CUNY Queens College | Queens | Public | 42 |
| Hamilton College | Clinton | Private not-for-profit | 41 |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center (Online) | New York | Public | 40 |
| Union College | Schenectady | Private not-for-profit | 38 |
| Colgate University | Hamilton | Private not-for-profit | 37 |
| SUNY Oneonta | Oneonta | Public | 35 |
| Canisius University | Buffalo | Private not-for-profit | 32 |
| Hobart William Smith Colleges | Geneva | Private not-for-profit | 32 |
| Pace University | New York | Private not-for-profit | 32 |
| United States Military Academy | West Point | Public | 32 |
| CUNY York College | Jamaica | Public | 30 |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Private not-for-profit | 29 |
| Manhattan University | Riverdale | Private not-for-profit | 29 |
| New York Medical College (Graduate only) | Valhalla | Private not-for-profit | 29 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy | Private not-for-profit | 29 |
| Mercy University | Dobbs Ferry | Private not-for-profit | 28 |
| Molloy University | Rockville Centre | Private not-for-profit | 26 |
| Niagara University | Niagara University | Private not-for-profit | 25 |
| SUNY Polytechnic Institute | Utica | Public | 24 |
| SUNY Brockport | Brockport | Public | 23 |
| SUNY College at Potsdam | Potsdam | Public | 22 |
| Nazareth University | Rochester | Private not-for-profit | 21 |
| St. Joseph's University - New York | Brooklyn | Private not-for-profit | 20 |
| Hartwick College | Oneonta | Private not-for-profit | 19 |
| SUNY at Purchase College | Purchase | Public | 19 |
| Utica University | Utica | Private not-for-profit | 19 |
| Skidmore College | Saratoga Springs | Private not-for-profit | 18 |
| CUNY Queensborough Community College | Bayside | Public | 17 |
| Monroe Community College | Rochester | Public | 17 |
| Russell Sage College | Troy | Private not-for-profit | 17 |
| SUNY at Fredonia | Fredonia | Public | 17 |
| D'Youville University | Buffalo | Private not-for-profit | 15 |
| Daemen University | Amherst | Private not-for-profit | 15 |
| Dominican University New York | Orangeburg | Private not-for-profit | 15 |
| St Bonaventure University | Saint Bonaventure | Private not-for-profit | 15 |
| Alfred University | Alfred | Private not-for-profit | 14 |
| Iona University | New Rochelle | Private not-for-profit | 14 |
| SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | Alfred | Public | 14 |
| Barnard College | New York | Private not-for-profit | 12 |
| Elmira College | Elmira | Private not-for-profit | 12 |
| Hudson Valley Community College | Troy | Public | 12 |
| Ithaca College | Ithaca | Private not-for-profit | 12 |
| Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science | Paul Smiths | Private not-for-profit | 12 |
| St. Thomas Aquinas College | Sparkill | Private not-for-profit | 12 |
| Manhattanville University | Purchase | Private not-for-profit | 11 |
| Niagara County Community College | Sanborn | Public | 11 |
| Roberts Wesleyan University | Rochester | Private not-for-profit | 11 |
| Keuka College | Keuka Park | Private not-for-profit | 10 |
| Mount Saint Mary College | Newburgh | Private not-for-profit | 9 |
| Houghton University | Houghton | Private not-for-profit | 8 |
| Nassau Community College | Garden City | Public | 6 |
| Excelsior University (Online) | Albany | Private not-for-profit | 6 |
| Genesee Community College | Batavia | Public | 5 |
| Hilbert College | Hamburg | Private not-for-profit | 4 |
| Marymount Manhattan College | New York | Private not-for-profit | 4 |
| University of Mount Saint Vincent | Bronx | Private not-for-profit | 4 |
| Wagner College | Staten Island | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| Simon's Rock at Bard College | Barrytown | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | Albany | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
| Empire State University (Degree completion) | Saratoga Springs | Public | 1 |
| Tompkins Cortland Community College | Dryden | Public | 1 |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Biological Technicians (SOC 19-4021).
Top skills
What Biological Technicians earn in New York
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Biology programs in New York.
Which New York colleges award the most Biology degrees?+
New York University (552 graduates a year), Stony Brook University (543 graduates a year) and Binghamton University (519 graduates a year) award the most Biology degrees in New York, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 105 New York colleges offer Biology.
What is the best college for Biology in New York?+
By graduate earnings, Hamilton College leads among bachelor's Biology programs in New York, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $43,639, College Scorecard. Columbia University and Clarkson University follow. By degrees awarded, New York University is the largest, with 552 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which Biology program in New York has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Hamilton College tops the list at $43,639. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
How much do Biological Technicians earn in New York?+
The average annual wage for Biological Technicians in New York is $60,960 (median $61,210), across about 5,050 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What is the focus of the Biology program?+
The Biology program, also known as Biology, General, is designed for students interested in the scientific study of life and living organisms. This broad natural science encompasses various fields, focusing on the structure, function,…
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop reading comprehension, critical thinking, science, active listening, and related professional skills.
What is the job outlook for Biological Technicians?+
The national job outlook is about +3.5% growth with around 9,100 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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