Best Biotechnology Colleges and Universities in the World
About Biotechnology
The branch of science that deals with the use of living organisms or their products to benefit human health and the environment is referred to as biotechnology. It involves the use of cellular and biomolecular processes to build novel and life-improving technologies for the benefit of the human race all over the world. The biotechnology sector has had amazing growth in recent years, and it is likely to continue to grow in the future as new specializations emerge and researchers continue to make scientific advances.
Knowing more about this sector or industry might help you decide whether or not you want to pursue a career in biotechnology.
Duties of a Biotechnologist
The responsibilities of a biotechnologist vary depending on their level of expertise and specialization, including
- Performing research and conducting experiments in a laboratory setting
- Maintaining the quality and regulatory standards in the laboratory
- Performing data analysis to interpret the results of the experiments
- Working independently and in collaboration with other scientists and researchers
- Staying up to date with the new advances and technologies
- Writing or presenting the research findings to the world
Popular degrees for pursuing a career in Biotechnology
Bachelor’s Programs
There are two kinds of bachelor’s degrees available for biotechnology students, Bachelor of Sciences in Biotechnology (B.S.) and Bachelor of Arts in Biotechnology (B.A.). The former is a rigorous degree designed for research in the biotechnology field whereas the latter is for the non-research areas of biotechnology. A typical science degree in the following fields is also sufficient to get into biotechnology:
- Biochemistry
- Biological Sciences
- Biomedical Science
- Environmental Biology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Pharmacology
- Chemical Engineering
Master’s Programs
A graduate degree in biotechnology is a must for career progression and to enter into research or academia. A Master of Science in Biotechnology (M.S.) or a research-oriented degree such as the Master of Research in Biotechnology (MRes.) are offered by universities worldwide. Also specializations in other biological and Lifesciences can also offer employment opportunities in the field of biotechnology with some work experience in the laboratory settings. If you wish to become a researcher then a doctoral degree in biotechnology is a must.
Specializations in Biotechnology
There is a multitude of areas a biotechnologist can choose to specialize in such as
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer and Oncology
- Microbiology
- Genetics
- Pharmacology
- Stem cell research
- Vaccines and Immunizations
- Biochemistry
- Bioengineering
- Biostatistician
- Manufacturing and Production
- Research and Development
- Marketing and Sales
- Bioinformatics
Duration of Biotechnology Programs
The duration for a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology or allied fields is 4-years but the duration varies for master’s and doctoral degrees as per the universities.
| Country | Bachelor’s in Biotechnology | Master’s in Biotechnology | Ph.D. in Biotechnology |
| USA and Canada | 4 years | 1-2 years | 3-6 years |
| UK and Australia | 4 years | 1-2 years | 3-6 years |
| Others | 4 years | 1-2 years | 3-6 years |
Career opportunities for Biotechnologists
Biotechnologists are in high demand as medical technology progresses. The following are the industries in which a biotechnologist may expect to find employment:
Medical and pharmaceutical biotechnology: Involves the production of vaccines, medicines, medical devices and instruments, biological products, and other products to aid the global population in combating illnesses, infectious diseases, and maintaining overall health.
Industrial field: This field involves the use of microbes as manufacturing units to improve the efficacy of industrial fermentation, enzymes, and biocatalysts in an environmentally friendly manner.
Agricultural research: Biotechnology is increasingly being used in agricultural research to improve crop pest resistance, crop herbicide tolerance, and the employment of more environmentally sustainable farming practices.
Academic teaching: Biotechnologists with terminal degrees can pursue a career educating future biotechnology students in universities and colleges.
A number of biotechnologists are also hired by big pharma companies, local or federal governments, and climate and environmental protection groups.
Average salaries for Biotechnologists
The average salary of a biologist in the USA is 33,150 USD/year. The entry-level jobs usually pay around 29,250 USD/year, while the experienced workers make up to 83,626 USD/year (Source: Talent, USA).
The starting income for biotechnology graduates in the United Kingdom is between 25,113 and 31,721 USD per year, with a 5-year experience paying between 33,043 and 66,086 USD per year. Biotechnologists with a lot of expertise and those who work in research are paid over 79,303 USD each year (Source: PROSPECTS, UK).
The annual salary on average in Canada for biotechnology graduates is 62,618 USD/year. Although entry-level positions start at 47,955 USD/year, most experienced workers make up to 91,223 per year (Source: Talent, Canada).
In China, the average salary for a biotechnologist is 33,922 USD/year, with an entry-level salary of 24,243 USD/year and a salary of over 42,486 USD/year for experienced biotechnologists (Source: Salary expert, China).
Top 50 Universities in the world for Biotechnology based on ranking (US World News/Shanghai/QS):
The ranking of the universities in the field of biotechnology is based on the
| US World News Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | QS Ranking | University | Country | BachelorsPrograms | Masters Programs |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Harvard University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 3 | 4 | 4 | Stanford University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 4 | 6 | 10 | University of California–San Diego | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 5 | 5 | 3 | University of Cambridge | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 6 | 3 | 151- 200 | Technical University of Denmark | Denmark | Click Here | Click Here |
| 7 | NA | NA | University of Chinese Academy of Sciences | China | Click Here | Click Here |
| 8 | 8 | 6 | University of California–Berkeley | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 9 | 7 | 50 | University of Queensland Australia | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 10 | 15 | 24 | Johns Hopkins University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 11 | 10 | 12 | Cornell University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 12 | 12 | 33 | University of Washington | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 13 | 16 | 26 | Tsinghua University | China | Click Here | Click Here |
| 14 | 18 | 23 | University of Pennsylvania | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 15 | 14 | 71 | Zhejiang University | China | Click Here | Click Here |
| 16 | 13 | 5 | University of Oxford | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 17 | 8 | 401- 450 | Harbin Institute of Technology | China | Click Here | Click Here |
| 18 | 24 | 67 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | China | Click Here | Click Here |
| 19 | 35 | NA | Hunan University | China | Click Here | Click Here |
| 20 | 30 | 151-200 | Universite Paris Saclay | France | Click Here | Click Here |
| 21 | 27 | 33 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
| 22 | 11 | 116 | University of Minnesota–Twin Cities | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 23 | 22 | 16 | University of Toronto | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
| 24 | 29 | 9 | University of California–Los Angeles | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 25 | 16 | 42 | Wageningen University and Research Center | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
| 26 | 21 | 21 | University of Copenhagen | Denmark | Click Here | Click Here |
| 27 | 51-75 | 142 | King Abdulaziz University | Saudi Arabia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 28 | 26 | 201- 250 | China Agricultural University | China | Click Here | Click Here |
| 29 | 24 | 15 | University College London | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 30 | 51-75 | 32 | Karolinska Institute | Sweden | Click Here | Click Here |
| 31 | 42 | 45 | University of California–Davis | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 32 | 23 | 13 | Imperial College London | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 33 | 38 | 135 | University of Florida | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 34 | 20 | 7 | Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich | Switzerland | Click Here | Click Here |
| 35 | 51-75 | 13 | University of California–San Francisco | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 36 | 41 | 95 | Baylor College of Medicine | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 37 | 46 | 401- 450 | Huazhong Agricultural University | China | Click Here | Click Here |
| 38 | 51-75 | 106 | Universidade de São Paulo | Brazil | Click Here | Click Here |
| 39 | 28 | 54 | University of Wisconsin–Madison | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 40 | 31 | 39 | Seoul National University | South Korea | Click Here | Click Here |
| 41 | 37 | 37 | Sorbonne University | France | Click Here | Click Here |
| 42 | 19 | 74 | University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 43 | 51-75 | 31 | Peking University | China | Click Here | Click Here |
| 44 | 35 | 20 | University of Edinburgh | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 45 | 51-75 | NA | Northwest A&F University – China | China | Click Here | Click Here |
| 46 | 33 | 86 | Ghent University | Belgium | Click Here | Click Here |
| 47 | 39 | 125 | Ohio State University–Columbus | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 48 | 43 | 67 | University of Helsinki | Finland | Click Here | Click Here |
| 49 | 43 | 52 | University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 50 | 101-150 | 64 | Fudan University | China | Click Here | Click Here |
Top Universities in USA for Biotechnology:
| US World News Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | QS Ranking | University | Country |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Harvard University | USA |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | USA |
| 3 | 4 | 4 | Stanford University | USA |
| 4 | 6 | 10 | University of California-San Diego | USA |
| 8 | 8 | 6 | University of California-Berkeley | USA |
Top Universities in UK for Biotechnology:
| US World News Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | QS Ranking | University | Country |
| 5 | 5 | 3 | University of Cambridge | UK |
| 16 | 13 | 5 | University of Oxford | UK |
| 29 | 24 | 15 | University College London | UK |
| 32 | 23 | 13 | Imperial College London | UK |
| 44 | 35 | 20 | University of Edinburgh | UK |
Top Universities in China for Biotechnology:
| US World News Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | QS Ranking | University | Country |
| 7 | NA | NA | University of Chinese Academy of Sciences | China |
| 13 | 16 | 26 | Tsinghua University | China |
| 15 | 14 | 71 | Zhejiang University | China |
| 17 | 8 | 401-
450 |
Harbin Institute of Technology | China |
| 18 | 24 | 67 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | China |
Academic Requirements for studying Biotechnology
Bachelor’s level
The academic requirements at bachelor’s level may vary from one university to another but the general requirements for an undergraduate degree in biotechnology involve the following:
- A high school degree with a GPA of over 3.0
- Letter of recommendation
- Proof of English proficiency through recognized tests such as TOEFL or IELTS
- A statement of purpose
Master’s level
The requirements for a master’s degree in biotechnology differ depending on the university’s eligibility standards. However, the following are the minimum requirements as per some top-ranked universities:
- Must possess a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology or similar fields, such as biology, biochemistry, and environmental engineering with a GPA of 3.0
- Lab-based work in biology, chemistry, or related life science courses (the duration varies for different universities)
- Proof of English proficiency through standardized tests like TOEFL or IELTS
- Depending on the university, the GRE may or may not be necessary
- Letter of recommendation
- A copy of resume
Few universities also offer financial aid in terms of scholarships and fellowships to the international students to pursue an undergraduate or a graduate degree in biotechnology.
