38 Best colleges for Biology in Tennessee

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Tennessee ranked based on their research performance in Biology. A graph of 10.7M citations received by 277K 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: $26,689

2. University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Knoxville

For Biology

#87 in the United States

#98 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Average SAT: 1265
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 90%

3. University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Memphis

For Biology

#110 in the United States

#126 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Enrollment: 3,121
Male:Female: 33:67
Founded: 1911

4. Johnson University

Knoxville

For Biology

#173 in the United States

#197 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Average SAT: 990
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $20,713

5. University of Memphis

Memphis

For Biology

#201 in the United States

#226 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 1055
Average ACT: 21
Receiving Aid: 97%

6. East Tennessee State University

Johnson

For Biology

#230 in the United States

#258 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1060
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 92%

7. Meharry Medical College

Nashville

For Biology

#318 in the United States

#356 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 1,083
Male:Female: 31:69
Founded: 1876

8. University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

Chattanooga

For Biology

#353 in the United States

#397 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1095
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 95%

9. Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro

For Biology

#387 in the United States

#437 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1115
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 96%

10. Tennessee State University

Nashville

For Biology

#394 in the United States

#444 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 962
Average ACT: 19
Receiving Aid: 94%

11. University of the South

Sewanee

For Biology

#402 in the United States

#452 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Average SAT: 1317
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $33,616

12. Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville

For Biology

#416 in the United States

#466 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Average SAT: 1135
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: $16,584
Receiving Aid: 90%
Average Aid: $13,698

14. King University

Bristol

For Biology

#526 in the United States

#578 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Net Price: $23,282
Receiving Aid: 84%
Average Aid: $24,339

15. Union University

Jackson

For Biology

#589 in the United States

#641 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 47%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $27,191

16. Rhodes College

Memphis

For Biology

#707 in the United States

#768 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Average SAT: 1390
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $30,590

17. Bryan College - Dayton

Dayton

For Biology

#762 in the United States

#824 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $17,105
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $12,650

18. Lee University

Cleveland

For Biology

#772 in the United States

#834 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $20,222

19. Austin Peay State University

Clarksville

For Biology

#802 in the United States

#864 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Average SAT: 1054
Average ACT: 21
Receiving Aid: 98%

20. Fisk University

Nashville

For Biology

#865 in the United States

#927 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Average SAT: 1320
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $19,836

21. Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate

For Biology

#872 in the United States

#934 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 59%
Average SAT: 1113
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $19,401

22. Lipscomb University

Nashville

For Biology

#907 in the United States

#974 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Average SAT: 1248
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $27,386

23. Belmont University

Nashville

For Biology

#914 in the United States

#981 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Average SAT: 1255
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $37,558

24. University of Tennessee - Martin

Martin

For Biology

#967 in the United States

#1036 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1105
Average ACT: 22
Receiving Aid: 99%

25. Milligan College

Milligan College

For Biology

#1043 in the United States

#1112 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Average SAT: 1205
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $21,463

26. Southern College of Optometry

Memphis

For Biology

#1072 in the United States

#1142 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Enrollment: 525
Male:Female: 31:69
Founded: 1932

27. Christian Brothers University

Memphis

For Biology

#1098 in the United States

#1168 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1170
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $17,068

28. Maryville College

Maryville

For Biology

#1171 in the United States

#1243 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Average SAT: 1103
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $20,990

29. Lane College

Jackson

For Biology

#1269 in the United States

#1344 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $13,384
Receiving Aid: 96%
Average Aid: $10,229

30. Carson-Newman University

Jefferson City

For Biology

#1308 in the United States

#1383 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1035
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $19,755

31. Southern Adventist University

Collegedale

For Biology

#1351 in the United States

#1429 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $25,374

32. Tusculum University

Greeneville

For Biology

#1360 in the United States

#1438 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Net Price: $22,961
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $20,374

33. Welch College

Gallatin

For Biology

#1477 in the United States

#1559 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $19,214
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $15,153

34. Le Moyne-Owen College

Memphis

For Biology

#1543 in the United States

#1628 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Net Price: $8,362
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $11,001

35. Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences

Memphis

For Biology

#1567 in the United States

#1653 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average ACT: 20
Net Price: $15,395
Receiving Aid: 100%

36. Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens

For Biology

#1584 in the United States

#1671 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 59%
Average SAT: 1030
Average ACT: 20
Net Price: $16,414

37. Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson

For Biology

#1595 in the United States

#1683 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1009
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $18,267

38. Cumberland University

Lebanon

For Biology

#1605 in the United States

#1694 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Net Price: $17,669
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $23,749

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	114
Ohio	60	24
West Virginia	21	121
Missouri	36	17
Virginia	43	49
Louisiana	25	82
District of Columbia	9	81
Maryland	27	2
Iowa	30	42
Pennsylvania	102	8
Michigan	36	4
Florida	61	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	21
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	139
Arizona	11	37
Idaho	7	162
Nevada	8	143
Puerto Rico	15	315
California	134	3
Oregon	18	64
Washington	33	5
Alaska	4	185
Hawaii	7	122

Closest to Tennessee states to learn Biology

Biology subfields in Tennessee