Best Online Biology Programs in Rockville, MD (2026)

Rockville, Maryland has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs. Rockville has a population of about 67,218. Median household income is $122,384 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 64.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning biology-related role is Medical Scientist at a median $107,110 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Biology Schools to Rockville

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Rockville, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Rockville 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:

  • 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 Rockville. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Washington Adventist University

Takoma Park, MD 10.7 miles from Rockville BOC Score 55.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,249
Avg net price $18,526/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Maryland-College Park

College Park, MD 13.7 miles from Rockville BOC Score 89.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,860
Avg net price $15,678/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Bowie State University

Bowie, MD 21.7 miles from Rockville BOC Score 47.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,537
Avg net price $19,298/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Maryland-Baltimore County

Baltimore, MD 26.6 miles from Rockville BOC Score 78.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,960
Avg net price $16,467/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Hood College

Frederick, MD 27.4 miles from Rockville BOC Score 60.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,089
Avg net price $20,873/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Coppin State University

Baltimore, MD 30.8 miles from Rockville BOC Score 44.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,490
Avg net price $9,977/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Stevenson University

Owings Mills, MD 31.2 miles from Rockville BOC Score 59.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,079
Avg net price $26,505/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD 33.0 miles from Rockville BOC Score 88.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $87,555
Avg net price $18,809/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Maryland schools on the Maryland biology page.


Biology Wages Near Rockville

Rockville is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Maryland statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical Scientist$107,110Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$98,356
Biological Technician$63,510Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$58,320
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$104,330Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$95,803
Soil and Plant Scientist$95,870Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$88,035

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.


Rockville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population67,218Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$122,384Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+64.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Rockville-Area Cities With Biology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited biology schools are near Rockville, MD?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Rockville. The closest is American University in Washington, DC (10.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is The Catholic University of America (12.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying biology roles near Rockville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Rockville are: Medical Scientist ($107,110), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($104,330), Soil and Plant Scientist ($95,870). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Maryland statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Gaithersburg instead of Rockville?

Gaithersburg, MD is 4.7 miles from Rockville 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 Rockville an affordable place to study biology?

Rockville’s median household income of $122,384 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rockville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Maryland 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

Other Programs Available in Rockville

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Rockville:

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.