School Factsheet

The following information is a statistical snapshot of data representing the current makeup of the School of Biological Sciences at UC San Diego.

Facts of Note

• School of Biological Sciences Alumni Nobel Laureates: Fred Ramsdell (2025), Bruce Beutler (2011), Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (2009 – former graduate student) and Susumu Tonegawa (1987)
• UC San Diego Biology Areas Ranked in U.S. News and World Report's Top 10 List (11/21/22)
• UC San Diego's Biological Sciences Programs Ranked Number One in the Nation (9/28/10) - National Research Council (NRC) Data-Based Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs, conducted every ten years.
• UC San Diego Biological Sciences Ranked 10th in QS World Rankings by British Council (2021)
• UC San Diego Ranked 6th Global Academic Institution in Biomedical Sciences by Nature Index (2019)
• UC San Diego Campus Profile

Faculty

• 136 Faculty (30 with joint appointments)
• 13 Teaching Professors
• 48 Adjunct Faculty
• 4 Academic Departments
• 23 Members, National Academy of Sciences
• 17 Members, American Academy of Arts & Sciences
• 26 Fellows, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• 16 Endowed Chairs and Professorships
• 4 HHMI Investigators/Professors/Faculty Scholars

Students & Research Scholars

• 5,254 Undergraduate Students in 7 Biology Majors:
  
  • Bioinformatics
  • Ecology Behavior & Evolution
  • General Biology
  • Human Biology
  • Microbiology
  • Molecular and Cell Biology
  • Neurobiology
• 28,644 Total enrollments in biology classes (2019-20)
• 115 Postdoctoral Scholars
• 204 Ph.D. Graduate Students
• 165 Masters Students

• 35,000+ living Biology Alumni

Initiatives and Resources

• 105 Research Laboratories
• The Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox – a first-of-its-kind facility enabled by partnership that brings together state-of-the-art instrumentation and associated expertise to support research, education, and innovation.
• 6 Research Centers and Institutes
  • Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind
  • UC San Diego Natural Reserve System
  • The Meta Institute for Airborne Disease in a Changing Climate
  • Wu-Tsai Human Performance Alliance
  • Center for Circadian Biology and Medicine
  • Tata Institute for Genetics and Society
• 313,108  square feet of research space, teaching labs, and support space  
• A multi-use Biology Field Station with 4 arable acres, associated greenhouses, and research space
• Access to specialized research cores and resources across campus