Best Online Bachelor’s in Biology Programs of 2023

The University of Florida's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Biology that is interdisciplinary. This program provides a comprehensive foundation in biology, combining fields such as law, journalism, bioscience management, and more. The program is not appropriate for students applying to medical, dental, or veterinary school. Courses are offered from 17 academic departments, and students can also select a minor. The University of Florida's online Bachelor of Arts in Biology is one of the 25 online undergraduate degrees the school offers. These degrees are 40% less expensive than traditional in-person programs at the Gainesville campus but afford online students with the same faculty, curriculum, and student services. On this list, the University of Florida stands out for having the most selective admissions rate (31%) and highest graduation rate (88%) of the public schools.

Arizona State University (ASU) - a public research institution - has one of the largest student populations in the country, with an enrollment of over 125,000. Students can take courses on several physical campuses or online. The university's ASU Online offers a 120-credit hour online Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences taught by the same distinguished faculty who also teach on-campus. The degree offers four areas of specialization: Biology and Society, Biomedical Sciences, Conservation Biology and Ecology, and Genetics, Cell and Developmental Biology. While students can complete most of the program online, an organic chemistry lab portion requires in-person attendance. It can be completed in one week on ASU's physical campus in Tempe or at an approved accredited institution near your home. Students can complete other lab work from home via the school's innovative technology, such as 2D and 3D virtual reality experiences via Dreamscape Immersive.

A small private school in Missouri focused on the health sciences, Logan University, offers an online Bachelor of Science in Human Biology that can be completed in three years or less. Logan University uses a trimester system with three 15-week semesters beginning in January, May, and September. This means you can start the program when it's most convenient for you. Course choices include Immunology, Introduction to Public Health, and Genetics. Admissions requirements include a high school GPA of at least 2.0. Among the jobs that graduates of Logan's program go on to include research technicians, food safety officers, lab technicians, and pharmaceutical sales reps.

Florida International University - a large, public research university - offers a 120-credit hour online Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences through its School of Environment, Arts & Society. The program strongly emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving, and research skills. Core courses include Cellular Chemistry, Ecology, and Statistics for Behavioral & Social Sciences. The program has three start times for the program each year, and every new student is paired with a success coach. Only first-year students are admitted to the program at this time. They are not accepting transfer students. The faculty for the online program is the same as the in-person program at the school's physical campus in Miami. The Department of Biological Sciences boasts research funding in grants and contracts worth more than $10 million annually. Faculty members' active research areas include climate change, conservation biology and biodiversity, and tropical diseases.

Washington State University's (WSU) Global Campus offers 21 bachelor's degrees online, including a Bachelor of Science in Biology through its College of Arts and Sciences. The program provides a broad knowledge base in the biological sciences, with courses such as Principles of Conservation, General Ecology, and Human Nutrition and Health. It is a degree completion program, meaning applicants must already have some basic required coursework already completed at a community college or other institution, including introductory biology, chemistry, and physics. Three entry points are offered a year. Washington State University was founded in 1890 and started its Global Campus in 1992 to give students worldwide an opportunity to study at this top-tier research institution virtually. Student services available online include career and academic advising, tech support, e-tutoring, and military and veterans support.

Founded in 1974, Life University is a small private institution located in Marieta, Georgia, specializing in holistic health degrees. The school also offers four online undergraduate degrees, including an online Bachelor of Science in Biology that is highly interdisciplinary. Life University's online program provides students with the foundational knowledge of biology for careers in the sciences or further education in chiropractic, medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, and veterinary medicine. It's a 188 quarter-credit-hour program with courses including Visceral Physiology, Immunology and Disease Patterns, and Organic Chemistry. Student support services for online learners include telephone counseling, virtual employer and job seekers job boards, an Online Education Programs student group, wellness events, and life coaching.

Excelsior College was founded in 1971, a private, online-only institution based out of Albany, New York. Its student body is primarily working adults. Its highly individualized online Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts can be customized to focus on the natural sciences, which include biology. The program is 120-credit hours, with students having the ability to transfer up to 113-credit hours from another institution (the median is 79). Additionally, students can receive credits for military training. Excelsior College, a non-profit school, counts 72,000 of its alums as military or veterans. Additionally, discounted tuition rates and scholarships are available for active-duty service people, their spouses, domestic partners, and dependents. The college's Lt. Col. Bryant A. Murray Veterans Center is a virtual hub that provides resources on health and wellness, education, suicide prevention, military transitioning, and more to the school's veterans, military service members, and affiliates.

The University of Arizona is the state's flagship public research institution. Its main physical campus is in Tucson, but it also offers online programs, including an online Bachelor of Science in Biology. The 120-credit-hour program is rigorous and research-focused. It provides solid preparation for application to graduate schools of medicine, pharmacy, optometry, dentistry, and veterinary medicine, and its curriculum does meet the University of Arizona Medical School's application requirements. Although the classroom work can be completed 100%, the online program requires two in-person immersion Organic Chemistry labs - each taking 3.5 days total to complete - that must be on-campus. Required courses include Genetics, Ecology, and Foundations in Biochemistry. Students can customize their degrees by adding a specialization in Biomedical Sciences or Organismal Biology.

Oregon State University's Ecampus offers an online Bachelor of Science in Biology focused on botany. Courses include Introductory Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Elementary Biochemistry. The program is 180-credit hours, and requires 60 hours of experiential learning experience working in the field. Four start times are offered annually and students can complete the program 100% online. Students will graduate with a foundation in the fundamental biology of plants and fungi from the cellular to the global ecosystem level. All classes in this program were developed by distinguished faculty from Oregon State. Student supports available to online students include virtual success coaching, library resources, online tutoring, and remote career guidance.

Founded in 1856, the University of Maryland (UMD) is a public research institution that is the flagship school of the University System of Maryland. About 41,000 undergraduate and graduate students study on-campus in College Park or online. Maryland's Global Campus offers an online Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology that combines classroom and hands-on learning in biology and technology. The program is 120-credit hours and features courses including Molecular and Cellular Biology, Workplace Learning in Biology, and General Microbiology. Transfer students are welcome, and they can transfer up to 90 credits from other institutions. This program prepares graduates for careers in general biology, pharmaceuticals, biomedical research, and more. A biology-related internship in your community is a requirement of Maryland's program.