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I'm wondering where I can find out which schools have the best biology department, or any department for that matter. I always hear people talk about the best ranked departments but have never been able to find any rankings. If anyone knows where to look, please tell me.

By Nop86 (Nop86) on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 01:47 am: Edit

You can look at graduate school rankings for bio at the usnews website

By Emeraldkity4 (Emeraldkity4) on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 11:07 am: Edit

You might find some of this info helpful
http://www.nsf.gov/home/bio/

http://www.collegeconfidential.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?4/40283

http://www.collegenews.org/prebuilt/site_search.asp?sstring=biology

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 02:26 pm: Edit

For what it's worth, here's a list of "Top undergraduate programs in biology" from The College Finder: (note they are in alphabetical order):
Amherst, Austin College, BAtes, Bowdoin, Brandeis, Bryn Mawr, Bucknell, CALTECH, UCBerkeley, UCSan Diego, Carleton, U of Chicago, Colgate, U of Colorado, Colorado College, Cornell, creighton, Davidson Dickinson, Duke, Emory, Franklin and Marshall, gEttsburg, Grinnell, HAmilton, Harvey Mudd, Indiana U, Harvard, Haverford, U of Iowa, Johns Hopkins, Kalamazoo, Kenyon, Lafayette, LAwreunce U, MAcalester, MIT, Michigan State, U of Mich, Mt. Holyoke, SUNY Geneseo, U of Oregon, Pomona, Presbyterian C, Princeton, Purdue, Reed, Rhodes, U of Rhocester, ST. Olaf, Southwestern U (Texas)(, Stanford, Swarthmore, Trinity College (CT), Tufts, Ursinus, Union, Wake Forest, Washington U in SL, Wellesley, Whitman, Williams, U of Wisconsin, College of Wooster, Yale.

Whew. That list should be enough to get you started.

By Haon (Haon) on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 05:24 pm: Edit

To cut that list down a little...
(alphabetically): Amherst, Bowdoin, CALTECH, UCBerkeley, Carleton, UChicago, Cornell, Davidson, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Pomona, Princeton, Swarthmore, Tufts, Wellesly, Williams.

By Spiffybrownboy (Spiffybrownboy) on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 05:51 pm: Edit

I don't know how people can really identify the "best biology departments." Every school known to man has a biology department, and there are a plethora of great biology programs, some of which appear in the rankings, most of which don't. It would be helpful in stating the TYPE of biology you're looking for (genetics, neuroscience, microbiology, etc. etc.) When you get more specific, the "best" programs become a little more identifiable. If there's no specific bio program you're interested in right now, then for sure you'll get a decent, if not great bio education if you go to any one of those schools on Carolyn's list plus many more.

By Emeraldkity4 (Emeraldkity4) on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 06:04 pm: Edit

SOme have great equipment, some have fantastic professors somw have fantastic professors & great equipment.
My youngest daughter is interested in Marine Bio-
and is thinking about Hawaii and Santa Cruz where not so coincidentally you can go surfing.
My older daughter is majoring in bio at Reed and is pretty happy, they have a large number of graduates who recieve their degrees in bio for a school that is smaller than 1500, and have brand new facilities.
http://www.hhmi.org/BeyondBio101/phdpath.htm

By Peterline (Peterline) on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 04:06 pm: Edit

check out University of San Diego. its my number one choice right now and i want to go for bio too, with a pre-dental emphasis. the new 45 million dollar science is phenomonal, and the programs are funded by NASA, so all the equipment is new and cutting edge.

By Constellation35 (Constellation35) on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 04:22 pm: Edit

How's Purdue for undergrad biology? I know it's on that list but some details'd be nice.