When choosing a country for higher education, the USA is a popular option for international students. According to the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors 2025 report, U.S. colleges and universities hosted 1,177,766 international students during the 2024–2025 academic year. The country also offers a broad selection of universities and biology programs, including programs at some of the best American universities.
This article looks at six universities offering biology programs in the United States. The list is intended as a starting point for comparison rather than a formal ranking.
Top Schools Offering Biology in the USA
1. Harvard University
Established in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States.
Harvard’s Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology supports undergraduate study through the Molecular and Cellular Biology concentration. The university also offers a Ph.D. program in Molecular and Cellular Biology with an area of study in Molecules, Cells and Organisms.
The department researches and teaches how the collective behavior of molecules and cells forms the basis of life. It also values collaborative approaches to scientific inquiry, with connections between people helping to support interdisciplinary science.
2. Stanford University
Stanford University was founded in 1885 by Leland Stanford and Jane Stanford. As of autumn 2025, the university reported 7,289 undergraduate students and 10,025 graduate students. Stanford’s history also includes the 1906 earthquake, which destroyed several campus buildings.
The university’s Department of Biology is part of the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences. Its undergraduate biology major offers several subplans, ranging from biochemistry and biophysics to neuroscience. Students begin with foundational courses, laboratory courses, and breadth courses in subjects such as chemistry, mathematics, physics, statistics, and computer science.
Stanford’s coterminal master’s program is intended for current Stanford undergraduates who want to earn a master’s degree in Biology while completing their undergraduate studies. The department also offers a Ph.D. program for students seeking an advanced degree in Biology. Its Student Services Office lists inclusivity, advocacy, accountability, and integrity among its core values.
3. Yale University
Yale University was founded in 1701 as the Collegiate School. In 1718, it was renamed Yale College in recognition of Elihu Yale’s donation of books and goods.
For undergraduate students, Yale offers four majors in the biological sciences: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology; and Neuroscience.
For doctoral students, Yale’s Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences serves as the admissions gateway and first-year academic home for students interested in 12 Ph.D. programs. These include Immunobiology, Pharmacology, and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology.
Yale describes modern biology as the study of life at multiple scales, from individual molecules and cells to organisms and ecological networks. Faculty members and students use methods drawn from biology as well as chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering, and medicine.
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was founded in 1861. MIT has stated that the institution was founded partly to improve U.S. industrial output, reflecting its longstanding focus on applying scientific and technical knowledge to practical challenges.
MIT Facts currently lists 106 Nobel laureates among the institute’s selected honors.
MIT Biology’s undergraduate curriculum emphasizes fundamental principles and emerging approaches in biology, with particular attention to molecular and cellular biology. Coursework emphasizes methods and scientific reasoning rather than memorizing a fixed set of facts.
MIT Biology’s graduate program is doctoral. The department does not offer a standalone master’s degree in Biology.
5. Duke University
Situated in Durham, North Carolina, Duke University traces its institutional history to Trinity College. Trinity College relocated to Durham in 1892 and was renamed Duke University in 1924.
Duke’s Department of Biology offers a Bachelor of Arts in Biology, a Bachelor of Science in Biology, and a minor. Students can also select from 12 optional concentration areas.
Undergraduate learning opportunities include classroom experiences, hands-on learning in the field and laboratory, independent study, and research. Duke Biology also offers a flexible Ph.D. program in the biological sciences. Graduate students spend much of their time conducting research and have opportunities to collaborate with researchers from a range of fields.
6. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) offers biology and biotechnology programs with an emphasis on hands-on, project-based learning. Its Biology and Biotechnology curriculum combines biological theory with the practice of biotechnology. WPI also states that students may begin working in faculty-directed research laboratories well before their senior year.
Abeer Asif, a master’s student from Pakistan featured in a Global Scholarships student story, described her interest in research: “I really enjoy research. I enjoy how you form a hypothesis, struggle to find threads connecting to its truths, and actually figure out something that no one has ever done before.”
She also described becoming interested in the field when she “started seeing the real-life applications of biology and how it connected to something tangible.”
WPI’s biology-related degree options include a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Biotechnology and graduate programs in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Its full-time, thesis-based master’s program combines research, courses, and seminars. The Ph.D. program includes immersive research as well as core courses covering professional ethics, grant writing, and experimental design.
In conclusion, international students interested in biology can use these six universities as a starting point when comparing study options in the United States. Each institution offers biology-related undergraduate study, while graduate options vary. Prospective students should review the official program pages carefully before applying.
We hope that this overview of universities offering biology programs in the USA was helpful. To learn more about programs in the USA, check out the Available Courses for International Students or the Study in the USA Page for more study options.
