I’m currently a senior and I’m looking to major in marine biology. What schools would probably be best for that? I’m not necessarily looking for big-name schools. I care more about the program itself and a smaller, lesser-known school might have a better program.
I’m currently really looking into the University of California at Santa Barbra.
Thank you!
(and if other information is needed like SAT scores, class rank, GPA, etc, please ask)
@raleighpuppy Eckerd College in St Petersburg, Florida has an excellent marine science programme.
@saffysmum Thank you! I’ll check them out.
If you are considering UCSB you should definitely consider UC San Diego.
Assuming you are a CA resident despite your name: Second UCSD, and UC Davis has a top program and a beautiful research station in Bodega Bay.
I would also suggest taking a look at Humboldt State. They have very well respected bio science programs despite its slightly lower overall reputation.
If you are in CA and not made of money, skip any east coast suggestions. It’s not worth flying back and forth across the country for a marine bio undergrad degree.
This topic has been discussed many times on this board. Do a search to get a broad range of opinions, including the opinion that there is no advantage or benefit to earning a Bachelor degree in this field because apparently nearly all of the critical jobs in the field are performed by MS and PhD holders, and graduate programs do not require applicants to have undergraduate marine science coursework on their applicants’ resumes. In other words, similar to medical school admission (no Biology or Chemistry degree required), you do not have to have a Bachelor’s in Marine Science to be admitted to a graduate program in Marine Science.
@Magnetron Sadly, I’m a North Carolina resident. I actually moved from CA to NC 3 months ago so that kinda screwed up some of my college plans, but my dad has the GI Bill and we’re planning on using that.
I’ve visited Davis but didn’t think of them for some reason? So thank you for reminding me of them. And I love the Bodega Bay area.
I’ll also check out Humboldt
College of Charleston, Charleston SC
@carolinamom2boys Thank you for the suggestion but I’m really looking to leave the South and South Carolina has no appeal to me
@raleighpuppy have you considered Duke right in your backyard so to speak? They have a good marine science program with their marine lab located in Beaufort, North Carolina. In addition Duke offers scholarships specifically for LGBT students.
What? You’re a North Carolina resident who wants to major in Marine Science and you have no plans to apply to UNC-Wilmington? As I said, I am not enthusiastic about a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Science, but if you’re going to go for it then you could do a lot worse than UNCW, a federal Sea Grant school, by the way.
Does your prior 3-year high school attendance in California bestow state residency upon you? If so, then certainly apply to California public colleges.
If you have any interest in colleges in the northeast, then consider Stockton University (until recently known as Richard Stockton College), a public university in New Jersey. Stockton’s major in Marine Biology is very extensive. Stockton is situated near the Atlantic Ocean. The school participates in a well known seal rescue program. The Marine Biology curricula is rigorous. Best of all, Stockton is relatively low cost for out-of-state residents.
On the west coast a smallish public college to consider is Western Washington University in Bellingham. WWU has a decent Marine Biology major. Bellingham is a nice small city that is close to Puget Sound as well as the Cascade Mountains. You could scuba dive, fish, climb a glacier and ski all on the same day. On the downside, WWU would be pricey for you as an non-resident.
@LakeWashington As a transgender student, UNCW doesn’t appeal to me. I’ve looked into them, of course, and that aspect doesn’t appeal to me. I need to feel safe on campus and the UNC system seems lacking.
@saffysmum I’ve been looking into Duke because I emailed them about their trans student policies and they got back to me in a very timely manner; I was impressed. It’s also good to know their marine bio program looks good. they’re known (at least in the area of NC I live in) mostly for medical students.
My guess is that the LGBT comfort level at either WWU or Stockton is fine. I think that gender identity is legally “a protected class” in Washington State. Do your due diligence.
@raleighpuppy My eldest attended Duke TIP for several years on the Duke campus. Now while that is geared for middle school and high school students we liked what we saw and she enjoyed her experiences on campus.
I saw that you were looking to get out of the South for schooling, I will recommend again Eckerd College in St Petersburg and if you are wanting a larger school University of Miami. Both schools are private and offer generous financial aid. Miami has several scholarship deadlines approaching with one scholarship, Stamps, offering a full ride while others offer full tuition.
Eckerd is a much smaller school and welcoming to LGBTQ students. Housing includes gender neutral and gender neutral pet friendly. It is thought well of in Florida and every year my daughter’s school has several students apply. To keep that statement in perspective the typical graduating class is under 40 students so for several to apply it represents a high percentage.
Good luck with your search for your perfect fit 
I have heard that Coastal Carolina has a good program from parents of a grad student there.
I would second the Western Washington recommendation, as well as the Humboldt.
Other strong marine programs in the CSU system are Long Beach, San Jose State, San Louis Obispo, Monterey Bay and San Diego State. Other UC schools (in addition to Santa Cruz and San Diego) with good undergrad marine bio include Santa Barbara and Davis.
Oregon State, as well as the more socially welcoming U Oregon both have decent undergrad programs.
Located on the outskirts of Olympia, Washington, and within walking distance of the Puget Sound is Evergreen State College. The learning environment is a bit different, great for some, a terrible match for others. You would design your own curriculum within the bio and environmental studies departments. Marine Science is a pretty popular field out here with our orcas and salmon.
It’s about as far away from the south as you can get. The college is also very reasonably priced. You can find out more at the Colleges That Change Lives website.
College of the Atlantic, URI, New College of FL . . .