Best Biology, General Schools in California

California has 51 colleges offering Biology, General programs tracked by the College Scorecard, producing 5,259 recent graduates. Graduates earn $29,471 on average within two years, roughly in line with the national average of $28,618.

School choice matters significantly: Saint Mary's College of California graduates earn $41,565 while Whittier College graduates earn $14,935 — a $26,630 gap. Research each program's curriculum, employer connections, and career services before deciding.

51
Schools in CA
$29,471
CA Avg. Earnings
$28,618
National Avg.
861
Schools Nationally

Public vs Private: Biology, General in California

Public Schools (30)
$30,832
avg. 2yr earnings
Private Schools (21)
$27,528
avg. 2yr earnings

Public schools in California produce comparable or higher early earnings for Biology, General graduates, often at lower cost — making them strong value options.

Biology, General Schools in California, Ranked by Earnings

#1
S

Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga, CA · Private

$41,565
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 88.6%
#2
C

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA · Public

$41,261
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $37,605
Graduates: 181
Acceptance: 96.8%
#3
S

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA · Public

$39,729
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $28,787
Graduates: 58
Acceptance: 94.7%
#4
C

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA · Public

$38,469
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $32,589
Graduates: 127
Acceptance: 29.8%
#5
N

Northeastern University Oakland

Oakland, CA · Private

$38,108
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $43,916
Graduates: 79
Acceptance: 16.5%
#6
C

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA · Public

$35,600
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $32,192
Graduates: 60
Acceptance: 95.7%
#7
S

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA · Public

$35,060
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $41,033
Graduates: 22
Acceptance: 80.2%
#8
U

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA · Private

$34,704
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $33,560
Graduates: 54
Acceptance: 50.8%
#9
C

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA · Public

$34,603
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $33,427
Graduates: 94
Acceptance: 97.5%
#10
S

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA · Private

$34,526
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $36,629
Graduates: 59
Acceptance: 43.8%
#11
C

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA · Public

$33,993
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $34,796
Graduates: 182
Acceptance: 93.6%
#12
U

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA · Private

$33,993
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $20,389
Graduates: 50
Acceptance: 46.8%
#13
U

University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA · Public

$33,565
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $30,350
Graduates: 136
Acceptance: 27.8%
#14
C

California State University-Chico

Chico, CA · Public

$33,459
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $29,939
Graduates: 52
Acceptance: 93.7%
#15
C

California State University-Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA · Public

$33,382
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $33,204
Graduates: 110
Acceptance: 93.1%
#16
A

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA · Private

$33,281
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 79.5%
#17
S

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA · Public

$32,569
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $38,903
Graduates: 49
Acceptance: 96.2%
#18
C

California State University-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA · Public

$32,391
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $29,439
Graduates: 130
Acceptance: 91.9%
#19
U

University of California-Davis

Davis, CA · Public

$32,162
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $28,791
Graduates: 254
Acceptance: 41.6%
#20
U

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA · Public

$32,094
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $36,294
Graduates: 157
Acceptance: 11.7%
#21
U

University of California-Merced

Merced, CA · Public

$31,391
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $29,685
Graduates: 253
Acceptance: 39.2%
#22
U

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA · Public

$31,133
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $29,134
Graduates: 147
Acceptance: 62.5%
#23
C

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Pomona, CA · Public

$31,042
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $29,515
Graduates: 171
Acceptance: 73.7%
#24
U

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA · Public

$29,805
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $26,086
Graduates: 477
Acceptance: 24.5%
#25
S

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA · Public

$29,467
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $33,006
Graduates: 218
Acceptance: 34.4%
#26
C

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA · Public

$28,381
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $24,556
Graduates: 103
Acceptance: 47.1%
#27
U

University of Redlands

Redlands, CA · Private

$28,366
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $34,248
Graduates: 33
Acceptance: 80.9%
#28
C

California State University-Monterey Bay

Seaside, CA · Public

$28,236
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $31,700
Graduates: 96
Acceptance: 94.8%
#29
C

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA · Public

$27,874
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $25,618
Graduates: 22
Acceptance: 88.2%
#30
C

California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Arcata, CA · Public

$27,846
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $25,491
Graduates: 179
Acceptance: 98.8%
#31
C

Chapman University

Orange, CA · Private

$27,765
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $19,549
Graduates: 25
Acceptance: 55.6%
#32
U

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$27,358
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $24,988
Graduates: 69
Acceptance: 10.0%
#33
O

Occidental College

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$26,933
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $25,035
Graduates: 31
Acceptance: 39.9%
#34
C

California State University-Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA · Public

$26,739
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $23,318
Graduates: 52
Acceptance: 91.3%
#35
C

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA · Private

$26,353
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $23,631
Graduates: 39
Acceptance: 73.6%
#36
M

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$26,353
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $22,651
Graduates: 18
Acceptance: 68.7%
#37
C

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA · Public

$25,967
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $26,673
Graduates: 103
Acceptance: 96.4%
#38
P

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, CA · Private

$25,774
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $28,314
Graduates: 24
Acceptance: 81.8%
#39
U

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA · Public

$25,484
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $24,167
Graduates: 312
Acceptance: 8.7%
#40
B

Biola University

La Mirada, CA · Private

$25,194
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $27,443
Graduates: 50
Acceptance: 60.1%
#41
C

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, CA · Private

$25,194
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $26,541
Graduates: 26
Acceptance: 88.9%
#42
C

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA · Public

$25,194
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $21,685
Graduates: 108
Acceptance: 93.2%
#43
S

Stanford University

Stanford, CA · Private

$25,194
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $36,722
Graduates: 30
Acceptance: 3.9%
#44
U

University of California-Riverside

Riverside, CA · Public

$23,391
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $18,850
Graduates: 240
Acceptance: 63.3%
#45
C

California State University-San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA · Public

$23,029
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $26,032
Graduates: 107
Acceptance: 98.3%
#46
L

La Sierra University

Riverside, CA · Private

$22,771
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 93.3%
#47
W

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, CA · Private

$22,192
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $31,121
Graduates: 24
Acceptance: 79.9%
#48
U

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA · Public

$21,645
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $20,595
Graduates: 346
Acceptance: 25.6%
#49
U

University of La Verne

La Verne, CA · Private

$21,508
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $25,762
Graduates: 43
Acceptance: 48.5%
#50
L

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$16,015
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $25,477
Graduates: 36
Acceptance: 40.3%
#51
W

Whittier College

Whittier, CA · Private

$14,935
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $22,976
Graduates: 23
Acceptance: 85.4%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Biology, General in California?
Saint Mary's College of California ranks #1 for Biology, General in California with median graduate earnings of $41,565 within two years of graduation. There are 51 schools offering Biology, General programs in the state.
How much do Biology, General graduates earn in California?
Biology, General graduates in California earn an average of $29,471 within two years of graduation. This is 3% above the national average of $28,618 for this major.
What is the hardest Biology, General school to get into in California?
Stanford University is the most selective Biology, General program in California with an acceptance rate of 3.9%. The average acceptance rate across Biology, General programs in the state is 65.1%.
Should I attend a public or private school for Biology, General in California?
In California, private Biology, General programs produce average earnings of $27,528 vs $30,832 at public schools. However, public schools typically cost less — consider net price relative to earnings when calculating ROI. There are 30 public and 21 private options in the state.

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Data updated June 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.