Best Online Bachelor’s in Biology 2025
Find top-ranked online bachelor’s in biology degree programs to prepare students to work as biotechnicians, pharmaceutical researchers, or health managers, among others, as well as pursue related graduate degree programs.
Key Takeaways
- Top online bachelor’s in biology degrees programs integrate virtual lab simulations with at-home lab kits or local partnerships for real-world biology lab experiences, ensuring students gain practical skills while studying remotely.
- Many of the programs in our ranking offer concentrations such as environmental biology, molecular biology, or pre-medical studies, allowing students to tailor their education to specific career goals or graduate school aspirations.
- The best online bachelor’s in biology degrees often include remote research projects, partnerships with local organizations, or virtual internships that provide hands-on experience in fields like conservation biology, biotechnology, or healthcare.
Top Online Bachelor's in Biology Degree Programs in 2025
2025 Ranking Update
Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or lost ground for the 2025 school year.
In 2025, the top schools in our ranking of the best online bachelor’s in biology degrees saw a fair amount of change. The University of Arizona gained the top ranking position as the college has enhanced its online Bachelor of Science in Biology program to better serve students. The program now offers two degree emphases: Biomedical Sciences and Organismal Biology, allowing students to tailor their studies to specific career goals.
Additionally, the university has expanded its online course offerings, enabling students to complete the degree entirely online, providing greater flexibility for those balancing work and personal commitments. The curriculum includes core courses in genetics, ecology, and evolution, with opportunities for independent research and fieldwork, preparing students for diverse careers in biology.
Featured Programs
Best Online Bachelor’s in Biology Programs
- #3 15 Best Online Colleges for Veterans to Start Their Careers 2025 #18 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #20 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #20 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
87%
Graduation
68%
Student body
54K
Median SAT/ACT
1255/25
Career Outlook for Biology degree at University of Arizona
Cost of Degree: $13,277Expenses: $19,500Starting Salary: $37,528Salary after 4 years: $55,026Cost Recoup Time: 12 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryOnline Degrees
Bachelor of Science in Biology
Concentrations
- Biomedical Sciences
- Organismal Biology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion time: 4-6 years
- Format: Online
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science
Concentrations
- Soil, Air, and Water
- Leadership, Sustainability and Communications
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion time: 4-6 years
- Format: Online
Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Science
Concentrations
- Nutrition
- Dietetics
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion time: 4-6 years
- Format: Online
- #2 Online Colleges with the Most Generous Financial Aid in 2025 #2 Top 15 Best Online Colleges for Transfer Students in 2025 #3 15 Best Self-paced Online Colleges Ranked for 2025 #6 15 Best Online Colleges for Veterans to Start Their Careers 2025
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
23%
Graduation
90%
Student body
63K
Median SAT/ACT
1395/30
Career Outlook for Biology degree at University of Florida
Cost of Degree: $6,381Expenses: $16,220Starting Salary: $44,028Salary after 4 years: $64,557Cost Recoup Time: 8 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryOnline Degrees
BA in Biology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Microbiology and Cell Science
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #6 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in New Jersey 2025 #6 Best Public Colleges New Jersey 2024 #6 Most Affordable Colleges in New Jersey 2025 #13 Best Colleges and Universities for Biology Degrees 2025
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
51%
Student body
15K
Median SAT/ACT
1030/20
Career Outlook for Biology degree at Kean University
Cost of Degree: $13,426Expenses: $21,004Starting Salary: $32,435Salary after 4 years: $47,558Cost Recoup Time: 13 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryOnline Degrees
BS in Biology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion time: 4 years
- Format: Online
- #14 Best Colleges and Universities for Biology Degrees 2025 #9 Best Online Bachelor's in Math Degree Programs Ranked for 2025 #11 Best Online Bachelor's in Strategic Communications Degree Programs #12 Best Online Bachelor's of Economics Degree Programs for 2024
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
92%
Graduation
45%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1050/20
Career Outlook for Biology degree at West Texas A&M University
Cost of Degree: $9,101Expenses: $15,503Starting Salary: $31,296Salary after 4 years: $45,887Cost Recoup Time: 11 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryOnline Degrees
BAAS in Applied Arts and Sciences
Concentrations
- Biology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion time: 4-5 years
- Format: Online
- #3 Best Online Associate in Health Science Degree Programs #3 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity Degree Programs in New York #4 Best Online Bachelor’s of Human Services Degree Programs Ranked for 2024 #6 Best Online Bachelor’s of Electrical and Computer Engineering Degree Programs for 2024
Student body
23K
Online Degrees
BS in Natural Sciences
Concentrations
- Biology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion time: 4-5 years
- Format: Online
- #15 Best Colleges and Universities for Biology Degrees 2025 #3 Best Online Master’s in Forensics Degree Programs 2025 #4 Best Online Bachelor's in Kinesiology Degree Programs for 2025 #5 Best Online Master’s in Game Development & Design 2025
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
82%
Graduation
23%
Student body
6K
Career Outlook for Biology degree at University of Houston–Victoria
Cost of Degree: $7,499Expenses: $15,252Starting Salary: $30,961Salary after 4 years: $45,396Cost Recoup Time: 10 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryOnline Degrees
BS in Biology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion time: 4-5 years
- Format: Online
- #7 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in South Carolina #21 Best Online Colleges in South Carolina 2024
Tuition + fees
$13K
Graduation
36%
Student body
<1K
Career Outlook for Biology degree at Voorhees University
Cost of Degree: $12,630Expenses: $13,705Starting Salary: $16,346Salary after 4 years: $25,037Cost Recoup Time: 17 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryOnline Degrees
BS in Biology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion time: 4 years
- Format: Online
- #8 Best Private Colleges in Maine 2025 #9 Most Affordable Colleges in Maine 2025 #4 Best Online Colleges in Maine 2024 #5 Best Online MBAs in Sustainability
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
94%
Graduation
53%
Student body
5K
Career Outlook for Biology degree at Unity Environmental University
Cost of Degree: $12,640Expenses: $14,236Starting Salary: $23,423Salary after 4 years: $35,877Cost Recoup Time: 13 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryOnline Degrees
BS in Marine Biology And Sustainable Aquaculture
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion time: 4 years
- Format: Online
Career Outlook for Students with Biology Degree
Go to Degree Finder toolBiology/Biological Sciences
Degree Level: Bachelor's
- Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
- Avg. Cost of Degree*: $11,006
- Avg. Expenses*: $17,410
- Avg. Starting Salary*: $32,126
- Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $47,104
- Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 12 years
- Job Growth: 1.47%
- Number of Jobs: 1,457,600
- * denotes ‘annually’
- ** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’
Career Salaries
Career | Job Growth | Avg. Salary |
---|---|---|
Natural Sciences Managers | 7.49% | $157,740 |
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | 11.46% | $100,890 |
Biological Scientists, All Other | 5.69% | $91,100 |
Life Scientists, All Other | 6.25% | $86,950 |
Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 8.32% | $83,920 |
Top Industries
Industry | Avg. Salary |
---|---|
Natural Sciences Managers | $157,740 |
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $100,890 |
Biological Scientists, All Other | $91,100 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Biology Degrees
Earning an bachelor’s degree in biology can be a great starting point for a wide range of career paths including general professions and extremely niche areas of practice. It’s important to understand, however, the requirements for your goal career, so you can be sure to complete courses and specializations that align with the profession. For example, while you might find zoology very interesting, it won’t do much to prepare you for a job as a (human) gastrointestinal specialist.
Back to TopMost biology careers require a bachelor’s degree, so this is a common path. Your biology major can lead to a wide range of career opportunities, including biologist, health manager, biotechnician, or a pharmaceutical researcher.
With further education, your biology major can also lead to a wide range of career opportunities, including these top jobs:
- Physicians and Surgeons
- Pharmacists
- Physician Assistants
- Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists
Students can pursue this 120-credit, four-year degree either online or in person, and will study subjects like biology, organic chemistry, anatomy, and psychology. Students will also learn critical skills in areas like math, research, and laboratory practices.
Back to TopLearn more about how to major in biology.
Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions
If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require a time of adjustment. Although you’ll typically learn the same material and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, going online will require greater independence and responsibility than going in person. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, for harnessing the online educational technology that you’ll need to use, and for completing the course requirements, such as listening to lectures, learning lessons, reading texts, and handing in assignments. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take the initiative in building relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.
No. The only part of online education that’s easier than campus-based education is ease of access: all you need is a computer and an internet connection for online education. But even this seeming advantage of online education can be misleading: what’s easier, studying online with your computer and internet connection from your home where you need to cook, clean, pay rent, and maintain a job? Or studying on campus in a dorm where all your living needs are handled by the school, and college staff are there to help you every step of the way?
If you take the commute to campus out of the equation, campus-based education is easier. All the support structures available on campus for students, especially with real people to help you in person, are not there online. The demands on you as an online student will largely be the same as for your campus-based counterpart, but without the same helps.
In general, your online courses will present the same material and test you in the same way as traditional in-person courses. In many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning with remote educational technology for the first time, online college may be considerably more challenging than campus-based college. For a few insights on how to manage this new online experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.
Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable non-profit institutions on the one end and less-than-reputable for-profit institutions on the other end. Accreditation gives you the power to identify the more reputable actors in online education. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency indicating that a college or university is meeting standards of quality and credibility. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.
Attending a college or university that is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. For students seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that they opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree. For more on this important topic, check out our What is Accreditation and Why Does It Matter? College & University Accreditation Guide.
As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited (see the previous point), you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer of credits. In many cases, you will encounter some bureaucratic haggling in which some of your credits will be transferred and others may be refused. However, provided that you have attended an online school with recognized regional accreditation, you should be in good shape in transferring your credits earned online.
In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript, or resumé differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.
Some employers may express the concern that because you did your degree online, you may need to transition from an online education experience to in-person workplace experience. But in an age of Covid, that concern seems much diminished. The fact is that much employment these days is remote. And collaboration increasingly happens online over Zoom. Many employers will therefore view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.
If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will be less than ideal for you (though depending on your circumstances, it may also be the only viable option).
While there is much in traditional campus-based education that can be substituted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing that can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual in-person classroom setting. As you transition to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face in getting the most out of your online classes is overcoming this difference between “real reality” and “virtual reality.” Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.
The advantages of online classes are many. Above all, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete at your own pace and on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.
Resources for Online College-Bound Students
Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.