BestOnlineCollege.org is an advertising-supported website. Many of the school and program listings that appear on this site are from partners who compensate us, and this compensation may affect how, where, and in what order listings appear (such as featured placements). This compensation does not influence our editorial content, evaluations, or rankings, which are determined independently using publicly available data. We do not review or feature every school or program available in the marketplace. Our goal is to provide accurate, unbiased information so you can make informed decisions. Read our full Advertiser Disclosure.
Key takeaway: Online biology degrees are offered at the associate, bachelor’s, and master’s level by accredited schools, and the degree serves as a foundation for careers in healthcare, laboratory science, environmental work, education, and graduate or professional study. Most programs pair online coursework with an in-person or partner-lab component for hands-on lab requirements. Compare accredited programs below.
An online biology degree covers the science of living organisms, from molecular and cellular processes to ecology and evolution, combining lecture-based coursework with laboratory training. Accredited online programs generally deliver the same lecture curriculum and degree titles as campus programs, though most also require some form of in-person or partner-lab lab work to satisfy science credit requirements; browse the best accredited online colleges to compare schools that offer them.
These accredited schools offer biology programs. Request information to compare programs, costs, and formats.
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Browse biology programs by degree level below.
Online biology programs cover the science of living organisms. Coursework commonly includes general biology, cell and molecular biology, genetics, ecology, anatomy and physiology, and a statistics or research-methods course.
Common levels include an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree (BA or BS), and a master’s degree. Some students use a biology bachelor’s as a prerequisite track toward nursing, pre-med, or other health-professional programs.
Most programs do. Labs are typically completed through an at-home lab kit shipped by the school, a local partner-lab arrangement, or a short on-campus intensive. Lab requirements vary significantly by school, so confirm the format before enrolling.
Students should verify that a school holds institutional accreditation from an accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, which can be confirmed through the Department’s accreditation database. Programs with a specific pre-health or pre-professional track may also reference discipline-specific guidance from professional societies.
A BA in biology typically pairs core science coursework with broader liberal-arts requirements, while a BS emphasizes additional lab and quantitative coursework. Both can serve as a foundation for graduate study or entry-level science roles, but pre-health and research-focused tracks more often favor the BS.
Online biology programs blend lecture-based theory with laboratory application. Core coursework commonly spans general biology I and II, cell and molecular biology, genetics, ecology and evolution, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and a statistics or research-methods course. Many programs let you focus coursework toward a track such as pre-health, environmental biology, or general life sciences, depending on the school’s offerings.
Biology graduates apply their training across healthcare support roles, laboratory and research settings, environmental and conservation work, science education, and biotechnology, and the degree is also a common prerequisite pathway toward nursing, physician assistant, physical therapy, dental, veterinary, and medical school. Career readiness and licensure requirements (where applicable) vary substantially by target role, so verify specific prerequisites with your intended graduate or professional program before choosing electives.
Biology or a related field? Choose biology for a broad life-sciences foundation and pre-health flexibility; explore healthcare or nursing for degree-specific clinical tracks instead.
Compare programs by level or focus:
Back to Online Degree Programs by Subject and Field
