Denver, Colorado has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs, with tuition ranging from $10,383 to $78,476 per year for indexed programs. Denver has a population of about 713,734. Median household income is $91,681 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 55.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, the top-earning biology-related role is Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist at a median $80,540 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Biology Schools to Denver
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Denver, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Denver city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
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:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Denver.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
75%
Graduation rate
47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,270
Avg net price
$11,900/yr
TuitionIn‑state$10,383
Out‑of‑state$29,391
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 35
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,093
Avg net price
$15,327/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 66%
- Programs offered: 51
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
78%
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,155
Avg net price
$36,131/yr
TuitionIn‑state$61,398
Out‑of‑state$61,398
Key stats- Retention rate: 88%
- Programs offered: 55
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$72,105
Avg net price
$18,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 37
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Colorado schools on the Colorado biology page.
Biology Wages Near Denver
Denver is part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (BLS area code 19740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Medical Scientist | N/A | CO statewide | – |
| Biological Technician | $65,140 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $61,569 |
| Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist | $80,540 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $76,125 |
| Soil and Plant Scientist | $75,430 | CO statewide | $71,295 |
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Denver at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 713,734 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $91,681 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 55.6% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 105.8 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Denver-Area Cities With Biology Programs
- Commerce City, CO – 7.2 mi away (54,869 pop)
- Aurora, CO – 8.7 mi away (361,710 pop)
- Englewood, CO – 10.1 mi away (34,050 pop)
- Thornton, CO – 11.5 mi away (136,703 pop)
- Northglenn, CO – 11.6 mi away (38,982 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited biology schools are near Denver, CO?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Denver. The closest is University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, CO (6.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Colorado Christian University (12.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying biology roles near Denver?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Denver are: Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($80,540), Soil and Plant Scientist ($75,430), Biological Technician ($65,140). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Commerce City instead of Denver?
Commerce City, CO is 7.2 miles from Denver and has its own set of local biology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Denver an affordable place to study biology?
Denver’s median household income of $91,681 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Denver while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Learn More About Biology Programs
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Data verified: July 30, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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