Dreaming of a career in biology? These top US colleges rival the Ivy League
For students embarking on this fascinating academic journey, the career prospects are vast and promising, offering roles in research, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, environmental management, and emerging fields like synthetic biology and bioinformatics. As global challenges demand scientific solutions, graduates with rigorous training in biological sciences enjoy strong demand, competitive salaries, and opportunities to influence health, technology, and sustainability worldwide.
Based on the authoritative QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 for Biological Sciences, this article highlights five outstanding US universities that excel in this field, excluding the Ivy League schools, to guide aspiring biologists seeking elite education and research environments.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
QS 2025 Subject Rank (Biological Sciences): 2 globally
Why it stands out: MIT blends biology with engineering, computation, and physics, offering an interdisciplinary approach through its Department of Biology and affiliations like the Whitehead Institute.
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Its focus on molecular and cellular mechanisms makes it a global powerhouse in biosciences research.
Johns Hopkins University
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
QS 2025 Subject Rank: 7 globally
Why it stands out: Known for pioneering biomedical research, JHU's Department of Biology collaborates extensively with its world-renowned School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health. Its research spans neuroscience, developmental biology, and genomics.
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
Location: Berkeley, California
QS 2024 Subject Rank: 8 globally
Why it stands out: UC Berkeley's Division of Biological Sciences emphasizes evolutionary biology, genetics, and plant sciences.
The university offers access to top-tier labs like the Innovative Genomics Institute and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
Location: San Francisco, California
QS 2024 Subject Rank: 9 globally
Why it stands out: UCSF is a graduate-level health sciences campus, laser-focused on life sciences, pharmacology, and biomedical research. Its strength lies in translational research, particularly in genetics, cancer biology, and neuroscience.
University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
Location: La Jolla, California
QS 2024 Subject Rank: 11 globally
Why it stands out: UCSD's Division of Biological Sciences excels in marine biology, molecular biology, and systems biology. The Salk Institute and the nearby biotech corridor make it a strategic hub for cutting-edge life sciences research.
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By the late 1960s, several semi-dwarf dicoccum wheat varieties, introduced under the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on wheat and barley, began replacing the traditional tall Indian dicoccum varieties. 'The DDK [Dharwad Dryland Kharif] varieties, namely 1025, 1029, and 1063, are semi-dwarf, are resistant to black and brown rust with hard elongated and red-coloured grains. It's grown in parts of northern Karnataka, southern Maharashtra, coastal villages of Gujarat, small areas of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh,' says Suma S Biradar, principal scientist (Genetics & Plant Breeding) and head, AICRP on Wheat MARS (Main Agricultural Research Station), University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad. 'In Karnataka, Khapli is barely 2% of the total wheat area. It's mainly used for making roti/chappati, bhakri, khakra, porridge, breads, cakes, and even traditional sweets like laddoos.' Following the development of the Dharwad Dryland Kharif series of Khapli wheat varieties, the Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, a key centre for wheat research and breeding in India, introduced its own range of improved wheat cultivars under the MACS designation. The MACS varieties have been bred for improved yield, disease resistance, nutritional quality, and adaptability, building on the legacy of earlier Khapli wheat improvements. The most recent Khapli variety cultivated by farmers in Rahuri taluka of Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar) district is Nilgiri Khapli (HW 1098), a semi-dwarf dicoccum wheat variety known for its high yield and disease resistance. A healthy grain Emmer wheat offers significant nutritional benefits, primarily due to its high fibre content, antioxidant compounds, easily digestible protein, and resistant starch, along with its slow carbohydrate digestion. Its health benefits are motivating local farmers to grow it not only for personal consumption but also for niche markets seeking traditional and healthy grains. According to Kurban Tadavai, District Superintendent Agricultural Officer and Project Director of the Agricultural Technology Management Agency, Jalgaon has emerged as a hub for Khapli wheat cultivation. The grain is now grown on approximately 1,500 acres across the talukas of Raver, Chopda, Parola, Dharangaon, Muktainagar, and Yaval in the district. 'Khapli wheat seeds are available at 12 centres in the district. The agriculture department has made arrangements to ensure the availability of quality seeds. Farmers are encouraged to use certified seeds for better yield and disease resistance,' he says. While farmers like Vaishali Patil began cultivating Khapli wheat motivated by its health benefits, a growing number of cultivators, such as 45-year-old Milind Shah, are recognising its economic and ecological promise. A resident of Chahardi village in Jalgaon's Chopda taluk, Shah began growing Khapli in 2020, sourcing seeds from a pioneering farmer in nearby Raver. He has continued ever since. 'I harvest a formidable 12 to 15 quintals per acre,' he says. 'Khapli is the food of the elite, priced at Rs 80 per kg, compared to bread wheat at Rs 30.' Scooping up a handful of soil, he adds, 'When cultivated using entirely organic methods, Khapli has a remarkable ability to enrich the soil's carbon content.' Despite its rising demand and health appeal, Khapli wheat faces a key bottleneck: processing. Its labour-intensive threshing has long deterred wider adoption. 'Unlike free-threshing varieties like durum or common wheat, where the outer layers separate easily, Khapli's spikelets remain intact. Threshing requires greater force and additional steps like hand threshing, flailing, or soaking to loosen the grains,' explains Vijendra Baviskar, a wheat agronomist with the ICAR-AICRP on Wheat at the Agharkar Research Institute in Pune. With its climate resilience, nutritional value, and soil-building capacity, Khapli wheat offers more than heritage – it offers a path to sustainable farming. Realising this potential, however, will require targeted efforts in seed accessibility, farmer incentives, and widespread awareness.
