38 Best colleges for Biology in Tennessee

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Tennessee ranked based on their research performance in Biology. A graph of 11.3M citations received by 284K academic papers made by 38 universities in Tennessee 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville

For Biology

#43 in the United States

#47 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 6%
Average SAT: 1535
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $25,186

2. University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Knoxville

For Biology

#87 in the United States

#98 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Average SAT: 1285
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 96%

3. University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Memphis

For Biology

#111 in the United States

#127 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Enrollment: 3,101
Male:Female: 33:67
Founded: 1911

4. Johnson University

Knoxville

For Biology

#173 in the United States

#197 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 65%
Average SAT: 1035
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $22,615

5. University of Memphis

Memphis

For Biology

#200 in the United States

#225 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1048
Average ACT: 21
Receiving Aid: 95%

6. East Tennessee State University

Johnson

For Biology

#230 in the United States

#258 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 1090
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 94%

7. Meharry Medical College

Nashville

For Biology

#318 in the United States

#356 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 1,226
Male:Female: 32:68
Founded: 1876

8. University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

Chattanooga

For Biology

#352 in the United States

#396 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1112
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 96%

9. Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro

For Biology

#387 in the United States

#436 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 96%

10. Tennessee State University

Nashville

For Biology

#388 in the United States

#438 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Average SAT: 965
Average ACT: 19
Receiving Aid: 75%

11. University of the South

Sewanee

For Biology

#404 in the United States

#454 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 1325
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $34,815

12. Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville

For Biology

#414 in the United States

#464 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1179
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 97%

13. South College

Knoxville

For Biology

#436 in the United States

#486 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $17,588
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $14,208

14. King University

Bristol

For Biology

#520 in the United States

#572 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $22,748
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $26,366

15. Union University

Jackson

For Biology

#612 in the United States

#665 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Average SAT: 1275
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $28,452

16. Rhodes College

Memphis

For Biology

#706 in the United States

#767 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Average SAT: 1393
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $31,037

17. Bryan College - Dayton

Dayton

For Biology

#743 in the United States

#805 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $18,159
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $13,271

18. Lee University

Cleveland

For Biology

#756 in the United States

#818 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1135
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $20,416

19. Austin Peay State University

Clarksville

For Biology

#799 in the United States

#861 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Average SAT: 985
Average ACT: 21
Receiving Aid: 99%

20. Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate

For Biology

#851 in the United States

#913 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Average SAT: 1105
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $21,447

21. Fisk University

Nashville

For Biology

#869 in the United States

#933 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 37%
Average SAT: 1325
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $18,595

22. Lipscomb University

Nashville

For Biology

#900 in the United States

#967 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1270
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $27,695

23. Belmont University

Nashville

For Biology

#908 in the United States

#975 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Average SAT: 1255
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $38,578

24. University of Tennessee - Martin

Martin

For Biology

#965 in the United States

#1034 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1090
Average ACT: 22
Receiving Aid: 99%

25. Milligan College

Milligan College

For Biology

#1055 in the United States

#1125 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1201
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $21,165

26. Southern College of Optometry

Memphis

For Biology

#1081 in the United States

#1151 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Enrollment: 530
Male:Female: 32:68
Founded: 1932

27. Christian Brothers University

Memphis

For Biology

#1108 in the United States

#1178 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1200
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $16,754

28. Maryville College

Maryville

For Biology

#1177 in the United States

#1249 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 61%
Net Price: $21,469
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $33,153

29. Lane College

Jackson

For Biology

#1273 in the United States

#1347 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $11,803
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $11,689

30. Carson-Newman University

Jefferson City

For Biology

#1314 in the United States

#1390 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1085
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $20,895

31. Southern Adventist University

Collegedale

For Biology

#1341 in the United States

#1419 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 65%
Average SAT: 1160
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $25,753

32. Tusculum University

Greeneville

For Biology

#1363 in the United States

#1441 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Net Price: $20,355
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $23,759

33. Welch College

Gallatin

For Biology

#1474 in the United States

#1556 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $21,157
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $15,462

34. Le Moyne-Owen College

Memphis

For Biology

#1549 in the United States

#1634 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 99%
Net Price: $6,542
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $12,222

35. Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences

Memphis

For Biology

#1569 in the United States

#1656 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average ACT: 20
Net Price: $11,348
Receiving Aid: 100%

36. Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson

For Biology

#1588 in the United States

#1675 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Average SAT: 1020
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $20,178

37. Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens

For Biology

#1589 in the United States

#1676 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $15,125
Receiving Aid: 100%

38. Cumberland University

Lebanon

For Biology

#1608 in the United States

#1697 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Net Price: $18,499
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $24,703

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Kentucky	27	61
Alabama	28	44
Georgia	48	32
Indiana	33	46
Mississippi	14	145
South Carolina	28	94
Illinois	74	23
North Carolina	46	18
Arkansas	17	115
Ohio	60	24
West Virginia	21	120
Missouri	36	17
Virginia	43	49
Louisiana	25	83
District of Columbia	9	81
Maryland	28	2
Iowa	30	42
Pennsylvania	102	8
Michigan	37	4
Florida	62	22
Delaware	3	105
Wisconsin	33	13
Oklahoma	21	124
Kansas	17	98
New Jersey	27	35
New York	136	7
Minnesota	28	16
Connecticut	20	9
Nebraska	14	97
Rhode Island	9	69
Massachusetts	69	1
Texas	79	20
Vermont	12	112
South Dakota	10	207
New Hampshire	12	99
Colorado	20	57
North Dakota	9	167
Maine	16	176
New Mexico	9	96
Utah	11	36
Montana	9	141
Arizona	11	37
Idaho	7	159
Nevada	8	142
Puerto Rico	15	315
California	134	3
Oregon	18	64
Washington	33	5
Alaska	4	184
Hawaii	7	123

Closest to Tennessee states to learn Biology

Biology subfields in Tennessee