115 colleges ranked by the research strength of their Biological Sciences faculty — a 0–100 blend of bibliometric quality, top-decile stars, federal R&D funding, and academic notability. Research output, not teaching quality. Reference corpus: 3,194 faculty. Data as of 2026-07-02.
| # | College | Research Strength | Coverage | Median h | FY24 R&D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University Ivy League · #3 36 matched faculty; median h-index 55; $668m FY24 R&D; led by Norbert Perrimon (h-index 156). | 81 | A | 55.5 | $668m |
| 2 | Yale University Ivy League · #5 88 matched faculty; median h-index 40; $271m FY24 R&D; led by John Krystal (h-index 158). | 80 | A | 40 | $271m |
| 3 | University of California, Berkeley Public Ivy · #10 61 matched faculty; median h-index 48; $146m FY24 R&D; led by Nicholas Ingolia (h-index 168). | 80 | A | 48 | $146m |
| 4 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Ivy+ · #2 39 matched faculty; median h-index 60; $46m FY24 R&D; led by Eric S. Lander (h-index 271). | 76 | A | 60 | $46m |
| 5 | Duke University Ivy+ · #7 52 matched faculty; median h-index 37; $329m FY24 R&D; led by Rytas J. Vilgalys (h-index 92). | 75 | A | 37 | $329m |
| 6 | Arizona State University Selective Public · #119 56 matched faculty; median h-index 34; $114m FY24 R&D; led by Hao Yan (h-index 99). | 73 | A | 34.5 | $114m |
| 7 | California Institute of Technology Ivy+ · #6 13 matched faculty; median h-index 56; $94m FY24 R&D; led by David J. Anderson (h-index 140). | 72 | A | 56 | $94m |
| 8 | University of Pittsburgh State Flagship · #70 65 matched faculty; median h-index 26; $393m FY24 R&D; led by David A. Lewis (h-index 133). | 72 | A | 26 | $393m |
| 9 | University of Wisconsin-Madison State Flagship · #35 18 matched faculty; median h-index 38; $374m FY24 R&D; led by Turner, Monica (h-index 113). | 72 | A | 38.5 | $374m |
| 10 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Public Ivy · #33 60 matched faculty; median h-index 29; $246m FY24 R&D; led by Jones, Corbin (h-index 109). | 71 | A | 29.5 | $246m |
| 11 | University of California, Riverside Regional · #76 42 matched faculty; median h-index 37; $71m FY24 R&D; led by Richard A. Luben (h-index 130). | 70 | A | 37.5 | $71m |
| 12 | University of California, San Diego Public Ivy · #29 30 matched faculty; median h-index 49; $83m FY24 R&D; led by Fred H Gage (h-index 220). | 70 | A | 49 | $83m |
| 13 | University of Florida Public Ivy · #27 37 matched faculty; median h-index 29; $213m FY24 R&D; led by Robert Holt (h-index 116). | 70 | A | 29 | $213m |
| 14 | Indiana University Bloomington Regional · #73 38 matched faculty; median h-index 37; $167m FY24 R&D; led by Brian D'Onofrio (h-index 79). | 70 | A | 37 | $167m |
| 15 | University of California, Los Angeles Public Ivy · #15 29 matched faculty; median h-index 42; $40m FY24 R&D; led by Nathan Kraft (h-index 97). | 69 | A | 42 | $40m |
| 16 | Thomas Jefferson University Regional · #134 96 matched faculty; median h-index 32; $104m FY24 R&D; led by Renato V. Iozzo (h-index 123). | 69 | A | 32 | $104m |
| 17 | Dartmouth College Ivy League · #10 53 matched faculty; median h-index 32; $92m FY24 R&D; led by Tor Wager (h-index 122). | 69 | A | 32 | $92m |
| 18 | Vanderbilt University Ivy+ · #18 28 matched faculty; median h-index 31; $248m FY24 R&D; led by Antonis Rokas (h-index 90). | 66 | A | 31 | $248m |
| 19 | Washington University in St. Louis Elite Private · #24 34 matched faculty; median h-index 26; $454m FY24 R&D; led by David Van Essen (h-index 128). | 66 | A | 26.5 | $454m |
| 20 | University of Oregon Regional · #112 41 matched faculty; median h-index 30; $43m FY24 R&D; led by David McCormick (h-index 109). | 65 | A | 30 | $43m |
| 21 | Brandeis University Regional · #63 29 matched faculty; median h-index 39; $30m FY24 R&D; led by Michael Rosbash (h-index 122). | 65 | A | 39 | $30m |
| 22 | University of Washington State Flagship · #40 28 matched faculty; median h-index 29; $381m FY24 R&D; led by Carl Bergstrom (h-index 58). | 65 | A | 29.5 | $381m |
| 23 | Boston University Elite Private · #41 36 matched faculty; median h-index 30; $228m FY24 R&D; led by Richard B. Primack (h-index 81). | 64 | A | 30 | $228m |
| 24 | University of Notre Dame Elite Private · #18 56 matched faculty; median h-index 27; $38m FY24 R&D; led by Xuemin Sheryl Lu (h-index 104). | 64 | A | 27 | $38m |
| 25 | University of Arizona Regional · #129 43 matched faculty; median h-index 26; $260m FY24 R&D; led by Victor Hruby (h-index 89). | 64 | A | 26 | $260m |
| 26 | Brown University Ivy League · #9 26 matched faculty; median h-index 30; $75m FY24 R&D; led by John Stein (h-index 95). | 64 | A | 30.5 | $75m |
| 27 | Stony Brook University (SUNY) State Flagship · #58 54 matched faculty; median h-index 28; $61m FY24 R&D; led by Ivet Bahar (h-index 89). | 64 | A | 28.5 | $61m |
| 28 | University of Maryland, College Park State Flagship · #44 33 matched faculty; median h-index 29; $206m FY24 R&D; led by Sean Carroll (h-index 87). | 63 | A | 29 | $206m |
| 29 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign State Flagship · #35 39 matched faculty; median h-index 27; $101m FY24 R&D; led by Lin-Feng Chen (h-index 125). | 63 | A | 27 | $101m |
| 30 | University of California, Santa Cruz State Flagship · #84 36 matched faculty; median h-index 30; $33m FY24 R&D; led by Daniel P Costa (h-index 106). | 62 | A | 30.5 | $33m |
| 31 | University of Virginia Public Ivy · #24 37 matched faculty; median h-index 22; $182m FY24 R&D; led by Janis Antonovics (h-index 79). | 62 | A | 22 | $182m |
| 32 | Georgia Institute of Technology Public Ivy · #33 37 matched faculty; median h-index 30; $28m FY24 R&D; led by Alfred Merrill (h-index 99). | 61 | A | 30 | $28m |
| 33 | Iowa State University Regional · #119 25 matched faculty; median h-index 31; $47m FY24 R&D; led by Jonathan Wendel (h-index 106). | 61 | A | 31 | $47m |
| 34 | University of California, Santa Barbara Public Ivy · #39 32 matched faculty; median h-index 35; $7m FY24 R&D; led by Joshua Schimel (h-index 100). | 60 | A | 35 | $7m |
| 35 | Tufts University Elite Private · #40 36 matched faculty; median h-index 17; $134m FY24 R&D; led by David Kaplan (h-index 197). | 59 | A | 17.5 | $134m |
| 36 | University of Minnesota, Twin Cities State Flagship · #54 31 matched faculty; median h-index 25; $143m FY24 R&D; led by Apostolos Georgopoulos (h-index 65). | 59 | A | 25 | $143m |
| 37 | Case Western Reserve University Selective Private · #51 32 matched faculty; median h-index 27; $112m FY24 R&D; led by Christopher Hubert (h-index 94). | 58 | A | 27.5 | $112m |
| 38 | University of Houston Regional · #134 38 matched faculty; median h-index 30; $15m FY24 R&D; led by Jan-Ake Gustafsson (h-index 157). | 58 | A | 30 | $15m |
| 39 | University of Massachusetts Amherst State Flagship · #60 61 matched faculty; median h-index 24; $29m FY24 R&D; led by Tobias Baskin (h-index 84). | 57 | A | 24 | $29m |
| 40 | Georgetown University Elite Private · #22 63 matched faculty; median h-index 27; $15m FY24 R&D; led by Joshua Corbin (h-index 93). | 57 | A | 27 | $15m |
| 41 | Emory University Elite Private · #24 33 matched faculty; median h-index 16; $421m FY24 R&D; led by Bruce Levin (h-index 75). | 57 | A | 16 | $421m |
| 42 | Tulane University Elite Private · #73 66 matched faculty; median h-index 26; $57m FY24 R&D; led by Demetrius M. Maraganore (h-index 76). | 57 | A | 26.5 | $57m |
| 43 | Louisiana State University Selective Public · #147 34 matched faculty; median h-index 21; $82m FY24 R&D; led by Maheshi Dassanayake (h-index 78). | 56 | A | 21 | $82m |
| 44 | George Washington University Regional · #63 30 matched faculty; median h-index 22; $103m FY24 R&D; led by Keith A Crandall (h-index 90). | 55 | A | 22 | $103m |
| 45 | University of Alabama at Birmingham Regional · #134 15 matched faculty; median h-index 24; $204m FY24 R&D; led by Trygve Tollefsbol (h-index 69). | 53 | A | 24 | $204m |
| 46 | Clemson University State Flagship · #80 32 matched faculty; median h-index 21; $34m FY24 R&D; led by Trudy Mackay (h-index 70). | 52 | A | 21 | $34m |
| 47 | Ohio State University State Flagship · #41 33 matched faculty; median h-index 17; $131m FY24 R&D; led by J. Andrew Roberts (h-index 119). | 50 | A | 17 | $131m |
| 48 | Rice University Elite Private · #13 14 matched faculty; median h-index 31; $22m FY24 R&D; led by Bonnie Bartel (h-index 69). | 50 | A | 31.5 | $22m |
| 49 | University of South Florida State Flagship · #91 20 matched faculty; median h-index 22; $120m FY24 R&D; led by Marcus Cooke (h-index 51). | 48 | A | 22.5 | $120m |
| 50 | University of South Carolina State Flagship · #129 7 matched faculty; median h-index 34; $22m FY24 R&D; led by Mousseau, Timothy (h-index 63). | 48 | B | 34 | $22m |
| 51 | Florida International University State Flagship · #98 19 matched faculty; median h-index 21; $44m FY24 R&D; led by Christopher Baraloto (h-index 67). | 47 | A | 21 | $44m |
| 52 | Florida State University Public Ivy · #54 31 matched faculty; median h-index 24; $29m FY24 R&D; led by Emily C. Lemmon (h-index 58). | 47 | A | 24 | $29m |
| 53 | University of Maryland, Baltimore County State Flagship · #129 58 matched faculty; median h-index 19; $13m FY24 R&D; led by Michael Summers (h-index 70). | 47 | A | 19 | $13m |
| 54 | University of Illinois, Chicago State Flagship · #80 20 matched faculty; median h-index 24; $102m FY24 R&D; led by Gonzalez-Meler, Miquel (h-index 39). | 46 | B | 24 | $102m |
| 55 | Temple University Regional · #98 8 matched faculty; median h-index 24; $48m FY24 R&D; led by Lauren Alloy (h-index 99). | 46 | B | 24.5 | $48m |
| 56 | Barnard College Top LAC · #12 22 matched faculty; median h-index 22; $2m FY24 R&D; led by BJ Casey (h-index 85). | 45 | A | 22 | $2m |
| 57 | North Carolina State University State Flagship · #58 16 matched faculty; median h-index 24; $149m FY24 R&D; led by James Brown (h-index 46). | 45 | A | 24 | $149m |
| 58 | Binghamton University (SUNY) State Flagship · #73 39 matched faculty; median h-index 21; $7m FY24 R&D; led by Hao Liu (h-index 97). | 44 | A | 21 | $7m |
| 59 | University of Vermont State Flagship · #134 21 matched faculty; median h-index 14; $62m FY24 R&D; led by Nicholas J. Gotelli (h-index 87). | 43 | A | 14 | $62m |
| 60 | Stevens Institute of Technology Regional · #76 16 matched faculty; median h-index 23; led by Yong Zhang (h-index 125). | 43 | A | 23 | — |
| 61 | Wake Forest University Selective Private · #47 28 matched faculty; median h-index 16; $5m FY24 R&D; led by Alan Townsend (h-index 76). | 42 | A | 16 | $5m |
| 62 | Drexel University Regional · #86 17 matched faculty; median h-index 19; $43m FY24 R&D; led by Kevin Smith (h-index 45). | 40 | A | 19 | $43m |
| 63 | University of Delaware State Flagship · #86 30 matched faculty; median h-index 16; $21m FY24 R&D; led by Velia Fowler (h-index 61). | 40 | A | 16.5 | $21m |
| 64 | Baylor University Regional · #91 33 matched faculty; median h-index 21; $10m FY24 R&D; led by John L. Wood (h-index 61). | 38 | A | 21 | $10m |
| 65 | Northeastern University Ivy+ · #43 12 matched faculty; median h-index 16; $19m FY24 R&D; led by Max Diem (h-index 58). | 37 | C | 16 | $19m |
| 66 | Rutgers University, Camden Regional · #98 42 matched faculty; median h-index 18; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Hao Zhu (h-index 79). | 36 | A | 18.5 | $1m |
| 67 | Marquette University Regional · #86 19 matched faculty; median h-index 16; $9m FY24 R&D; led by Stefan Schnitzer (h-index 62). | 36 | A | 16 | $9m |
| 68 | University of Central Florida State Flagship · #119 22 matched faculty; median h-index 19; $23m FY24 R&D; led by Eric Hoffman (h-index 114). | 36 | A | 19.5 | $23m |
| 69 | University of Texas at Dallas Regional · #112 4 matched faculty; median h-index 14; $14m FY24 R&D; led by Rukhsana Sultana (h-index 83). | 35 | C | 14.5 | $14m |
| 70 | Saint Louis University Regional · #105 39 matched faculty; median h-index 16; $23m FY24 R&D; led by Dapeng Zhang (h-index 54). | 35 | A | 16 | $23m |
| 71 | University of Denver Regional · #119 11 matched faculty; median h-index 25; $9m FY24 R&D; led by Julie Ann Morris (h-index 44). | 34 | B | 25 | $9m |
| 72 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute Regional · #86 28 matched faculty; median h-index 21; $4m FY24 R&D; led by Bruce Bursten (h-index 46). | 34 | A | 21 | $4m |
| 73 | Swarthmore College Elite Private · #17 18 matched faculty; median h-index 20; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Andrew Ward (h-index 109). | 33 | B | 20 | $1m |
| 74 | College of William & Mary Public Ivy · #54 16 matched faculty; median h-index 21; $2m FY24 R&D; led by Christopher A. Del Negro (h-index 38). | 31 | A | 21.5 | $2m |
| 75 | Wesleyan University Selective Private · #39 14 matched faculty; median h-index 23; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Manju Hingorani (h-index 38). | 30 | A | 23.5 | $1m |
| 76 | Brigham Young University Regional · #112 25 matched faculty; median h-index 18; $16m FY24 R&D; led by Michael J. Larson (h-index 59). | 29 | A | 18 | $16m |
| 77 | Loyola University Chicago Regional · #105 16 matched faculty; median h-index 18; $24m FY24 R&D; led by Norberto Grzywacz (h-index 37). | 28 | A | 18 | $24m |
| 78 | Rochester Institute of Technology Regional · #91 9 matched faculty; median h-index 23; $3m FY24 R&D; led by Stefan Schulze (h-index 34). | 26 | B | 23 | $3m |
| 79 | New Jersey Institute of Technology State Flagship · #84 19 matched faculty; median h-index 21; $4m FY24 R&D; led by Farzan Nadim (h-index 37). | 26 | A | 21 | $4m |
| 80 | Yeshiva University Regional · #105 16 matched faculty; median h-index 15; led by Harvey Babich (h-index 48). | 26 | B | 15 | — |
| 81 | Kenyon College Top LAC · #32 19 matched faculty; median h-index 14; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Joan Slonczewski (h-index 39). | 24 | A | 14 | $1m |
| 82 | University of New Hampshire Regional · #119 18 matched faculty; median h-index 14; $14m FY24 R&D; led by Rebecca Rowe (h-index 27). | 24 | B | 14.5 | $14m |
| 83 | Colgate University Selective Private · #46 26 matched faculty; median h-index 17; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Jun Yoshino (h-index 48). | 24 | A | 17 | $1m |
| 84 | Howard University Selective Private · #86 21 matched faculty; median h-index 13; $7m FY24 R&D; led by Shaolei Teng (h-index 21). | 24 | A | 13 | $7m |
| 85 | Haverford College Top LAC · #16 14 matched faculty; median h-index 14; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Robert Fairman (h-index 41). | 23 | A | 14 | $1m |
| 86 | Bates College Top LAC · #20 9 matched faculty; median h-index 16; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Thomas Wenzel (h-index 47). | 23 | B | 16 | $0m |
| 87 | Pomona College Elite Private · #15 23 matched faculty; median h-index 12; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Richard S. Lewis (h-index 61). | 23 | A | 12 | $1m |
| 88 | Rhodes College Top LAC · #52 18 matched faculty; median h-index 11; led by John S. Olsen (h-index 61). | 23 | A | 11.5 | — |
| 89 | Wellesley College Elite Private · #28 13 matched faculty; median h-index 16; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Barbara Beltz (h-index 43). | 22 | A | 16 | $1m |
| 90 | Skidmore College Top LAC · #37 6 matched faculty; median h-index 22; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Jason Breves (h-index 29). | 22 | B | 22 | $0m |
| 91 | Oberlin College Top LAC · #28 16 matched faculty; median h-index 13; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Michael Moore (h-index 48). | 22 | A | 13.5 | $1m |
| 92 | Reed College Top LAC · #47 13 matched faculty; median h-index 14; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Jay Mellies (h-index 26). | 21 | A | 14 | $1m |
| 93 | Bucknell University Top LAC · #35 12 matched faculty; median h-index 14; $2m FY24 R&D; led by Mark Haussmann (h-index 39). | 21 | A | 14.5 | $2m |
| 94 | Whitman College Top LAC · #48 6 matched faculty; median h-index 17; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Christopher Wallace (h-index 32). | 21 | B | 17 | $0m |
| 95 | Creighton University Regional · #119 15 matched faculty; median h-index 11; $9m FY24 R&D; led by Gwendalyn King (h-index 39). | 20 | A | 11 | $9m |
| 96 | University of Richmond Elite Private · #22 44 matched faculty; median h-index 15; $1m FY24 R&D; led by John Vaughan (h-index 40). | 20 | A | 15 | $1m |
| 97 | Sewanee: The University of the South Top LAC · #43 7 matched faculty; median h-index 15; led by Chris Shelley (h-index 24). | 20 | B | 15 | — |
| 98 | Davidson College Elite Private · #40 13 matched faculty; median h-index 12; $2m FY24 R&D; led by Kevin Smith (h-index 34). | 19 | A | 12 | $2m |
| 99 | Centre College Top LAC · #53 7 matched faculty; median h-index 12; led by Kelly O'Quin (h-index 16). | 18 | B | 12 | — |
| 100 | Harvey Mudd College Top LAC · #10 9 matched faculty; median h-index 14; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Catherine S. McFadden (h-index 40). | 18 | B | 14 | $0m |
| 101 | University of San Diego Regional · #112 16 matched faculty; median h-index 12; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Lisa Baird (h-index 33). | 18 | B | 12.5 | $1m |
| 102 | College of the Holy Cross Top LAC · #30 9 matched faculty; median h-index 12; led by Stephanie Crofts (h-index 16). | 18 | C | 12 | — |
| 103 | Connecticut College Top LAC · #42 11 matched faculty; median h-index 16; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Marc Zimmer (h-index 28). | 18 | B | 16 | $0m |
| 104 | Macalester College Top LAC · #24 13 matched faculty; median h-index 15; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Mark Davis (h-index 31). | 17 | A | 15 | $0m |
| 105 | Bryn Mawr College Top LAC · #33 9 matched faculty; median h-index 10; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Cora E. Mukerji (h-index 14). | 17 | B | 10 | $1m |
| 106 | Vassar College Top LAC · #13 35 matched faculty; median h-index 13; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Joseph M. Tanski (h-index 34). | 17 | A | 13 | $1m |
| 107 | Middlebury College Elite Private · #30 18 matched faculty; median h-index 13; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Catherine Combelles (h-index 26). | 17 | A | 13.5 | $1m |
| 108 | Gettysburg College Top LAC · #56 15 matched faculty; median h-index 10; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Véronique Delesalle (h-index 21). | 16 | A | 10 | $0m |
| 109 | Colorado College Top LAC · #27 6 matched faculty; median h-index 11; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Spencer Gang (h-index 14). | 15 | B | 11 | $0m |
| 110 | Carleton College Top LAC · #6 13 matched faculty; median h-index 10; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Rika Anderson (h-index 24). | 14 | A | 10 | $0m |
| 111 | Lafayette College Top LAC · #38 13 matched faculty; median h-index 12; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Eric Ho (h-index 29). | 14 | A | 12 | $0m |
| 112 | St. Olaf College Top LAC · #55 19 matched faculty; median h-index 12; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Norman Lee (h-index 29). | 14 | A | 12 | $1m |
| 113 | Furman University Top LAC · #50 15 matched faculty; median h-index 8; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Linnea Freeman (h-index 19). | 14 | A | 8 | $0m |
| 114 | Hamilton College Elite Private · #37 14 matched faculty; median h-index 13; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Alexandra List (h-index 25). | 13 | A | 13 | $0m |
| 115 | Denison University Top LAC · #39 12 matched faculty; median h-index 9; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Jeff Thompson (h-index 34). | 13 | A | 9 | $0m |
Research Strength (0–100) blends four components, re-normalized over whichever are available for each college: Quality 45%, Stars 25%, Funding 20%, Notability 10%. Each college's faculty in Biological Sciences are matched to OpenAlex research records; scores use field-relative percentiles across these 192 colleges, not all US institutions. A college needs at least four matched faculty to be ranked.
Research Strength Rankings v1.0 · as of 2026-07-02.