41 Best colleges for Molecular Biology in California, US

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in California ranked based on their research performance in Molecular Biology. A graph of 5.88M citations received by 87.3K academic papers made by 41 universities in California was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Stanford University

Stanford

For Molecular Biology

#3 in the United States

#3 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1545
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $17,998

2. University of California - San Francisco

San Francisco

For Molecular Biology

#4 in the United States

#4 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment: 3,126
Male:Female: 35:65
Founded: 1864

3. University of California-San Diego

San Diego

For Molecular Biology

#8 in the United States

#8 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 25%
Receiving Aid: 70%
Average Aid: $24,176
Enrollment: 42,376

4. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Molecular Biology

#16 in the United States

#17 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Receiving Aid: 60%
Average Aid: $22,441
Enrollment: 46,678

5. University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley

For Molecular Biology

#21 in the United States

#22 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $25,951
Enrollment: 45,699

6. University of California - Davis

Davis

For Molecular Biology

#27 in the United States

#29 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Receiving Aid: 58%
Average Aid: $21,258
Enrollment: 39,707

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles

For Molecular Biology

#30 in the United States

#32 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Average SAT: 1495
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $41,496

8. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena

For Molecular Biology

#45 in the United States

#49 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 3%
Net Price: $23,397
Receiving Aid: 68%
Average Aid: $60,201

9. University of California - Irvine

Irvine

For Molecular Biology

#54 in the United States

#58 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 26%
Receiving Aid: 71%
Average Aid: $21,533
Enrollment: 36,582

10. Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences at City of Hope

Duarte

For Molecular Biology

#66 in the United States

#70 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Enrollment: 90
Founded: 1994

11. Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

San Diego

For Molecular Biology

#72 in the United States

#78 in North America

Enrollment: 48
Male:Female: 37:63

12. University of California - Riverside

Riverside

For Molecular Biology

#89 in the United States

#100 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Receiving Aid: 75%
Average Aid: $21,566
Enrollment: 26,426

13. University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

For Molecular Biology

#113 in the United States

#126 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 28%
Receiving Aid: 58%
Average Aid: $21,732
Enrollment: 26,068

14. University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

For Molecular Biology

#133 in the United States

#149 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Receiving Aid: 71%
Average Aid: $21,564
Enrollment: 19,764

15. Loma Linda University

Loma Linda

For Molecular Biology

#147 in the United States

#165 in North America

Enrollment: 4,202
Male:Female: 33:67
Founded: 1905

16. San Diego State University

San Diego

For Molecular Biology

#180 in the United States

#202 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $5,459
Enrollment: 39,241

17. Humboldt State University

Arcata

For Molecular Biology

#213 in the United States

#237 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 99%
Receiving Aid: 73%
Average Aid: $10,046
Enrollment: 6,156

18. West Los Angeles College

Culver

For Molecular Biology

#227 in the United States

#251 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Receiving Aid: 70%
Average Aid: $6,817
Enrollment: 9,299

19. San Francisco State University

San Francisco

For Molecular Biology

#245 in the United States

#270 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Receiving Aid: 79%
Average Aid: $11,498
Enrollment: 23,908

20. San Jose State University

San Jose

For Molecular Biology

#259 in the United States

#286 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Receiving Aid: 67%
Average Aid: $11,311
Enrollment: 36,062

21. Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science

Los Angeles

For Molecular Biology

#265 in the United States

#292 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Net Price: $27,789
Receiving Aid: 43%
Average Aid: $6,184

22. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Molecular Biology

#271 in the United States

#299 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $12,478
Enrollment: 25,080

23. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton

For Molecular Biology

#272 in the United States

#300 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Receiving Aid: 82%
Average Aid: $10,445
Enrollment: 41,962

24. University of the Pacific

Stockton

For Molecular Biology

#275 in the United States

#305 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Average SAT: 1290
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $30,975

25. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach

For Molecular Biology

#276 in the United States

#306 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 47%
Receiving Aid: 82%
Average Aid: $10,512
Enrollment: 40,278

26. Western University of Health Sciences

Pomona

For Molecular Biology

#280 in the United States

#310 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Enrollment: 3,625
Male:Female: 36:64
Founded: 1977

27. California State University - Northridge

Los Angeles

For Molecular Biology

#282 in the United States

#312 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Receiving Aid: 87%
Average Aid: $12,000
Enrollment: 37,760

28. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo

For Molecular Biology

#294 in the United States

#326 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Receiving Aid: 60%
Average Aid: $12,707
Enrollment: 22,485

29. Palo Alto University

Palo Alto

For Molecular Biology

#301 in the United States

#335 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 1,223
Male:Female: 15:85
Founded: 1975

30. University of California - Merced

Merced

For Molecular Biology

#304 in the United States

#338 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Receiving Aid: 85%
Average Aid: $24,868
Enrollment: 9,147

31. University of San Francisco

San Francisco

For Molecular Biology

#310 in the United States

#345 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Average SAT: 1300
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $44,104

32. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara

For Molecular Biology

#333 in the United States

#370 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 44%
Average SAT: 1420
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $49,651

33. Keck Graduate Institute

Claremont

For Molecular Biology

#351 in the United States

#390 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 602
Male:Female: 30:70
Founded: 1997

34. Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles

For Molecular Biology

#354 in the United States

#393 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Net Price: $54,471
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $21,575

35. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Pomona

For Molecular Biology

#359 in the United States

#398 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Receiving Aid: 78%
Average Aid: $10,441
Enrollment: 26,848

36. Soka University of America

Aliso Viejo

For Molecular Biology

#360 in the United States

#399 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Average SAT: 1340
Net Price: $18,807
Receiving Aid: 100%

37. Pomona College

Claremont

For Molecular Biology

#364 in the United States

#403 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1520
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $17,423

38. University of San Diego

San Diego

For Molecular Biology

#377 in the United States

#416 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 47%
Net Price: $37,675
Receiving Aid: 86%
Average Aid: $37,444

39. Chapman University

Orange

For Molecular Biology

#389 in the United States

#429 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 56%
Average SAT: 1340
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $48,037

40. California State University - Fresno

Fresno

For Molecular Biology

#395 in the United States

#435 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $11,412
Enrollment: 23,986

41. Simpson University

Redding

For Molecular Biology

#411 in the United States

#452 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 99%
Net Price: $28,453
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $23,842

Closest to California states to learn Molecular Biology

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Oregon	6	60
Utah	3	39
Arizona	4	52
Idaho	3	191
Washington	3	7
Colorado	8	53
New Mexico	3	104
Nebraska	4	79
Kansas	4	111
Texas	31	12
Oklahoma	6	97
North Dakota	3	190
Minnesota	3	24
Iowa	2	31
Missouri	9	14
Arkansas	6	93
Louisiana	10	91
Wisconsin	4	13
Illinois	16	22
Mississippi	5	141
Indiana	8	51
Michigan	11	9
Tennessee	11	33
Alabama	10	29
Kentucky	4	69
Ohio	18	35
Georgia	13	28
South Carolina	5	75
North Carolina	11	17
Virginia	12	38
Pennsylvania	24	5
Florida	16	34
District of Columbia	5	74
Maryland	9	2
New York	46	11
New Jersey	10	32
Connecticut	5	6
Massachusetts	22	1
Rhode Island	3	92
Maine	5	228
Puerto Rico	5	289

Closest to California states to learn Molecular Biology

Biology subfields in California