The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.
Jacques Yves Cousteau
Jacques Cousteau spent his life exploring the world's oceans, and then warning of the danger it's in. It's wholly thanks to him that marine science and conservation are as broad and comprehensive as they are. However, the academic rankings haven't fully caught up to that reality.
None of the top platforms - QS, THE, ARWU, or EduRank rank the best universities for marine biology as a separate field. To compile this list of top universities for Marine Biology, we relied on the non-profit organisation, Marinebio.
Best Universities for Marine Biology, Marinebio
- The platform does not rank these facilities
- Marinebio lists universities by location
- Our featured schools represent unique geographical advantages, as well as top research and educational facilities.
- Each university offers expansive learning opportunities.
Newcastle University
This public research university has campuses overseas, in Malaysia and Singapore. For undergraduates hoping to study marine biology, that's a crucial fact.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and this university, are not exactly coastal, but they're close enough to make marine research doable. The school's main campus is in the city centre. However, this university boasts a facility on the coast, which makes marine studies possible.
During the 17th-18th Centuries, Cullercoats Bay was a launching point for salt and coal transport. Today, it is a fun day-trip and a hub of marine research. It's where we find the university's Dove Marine Laboratory.
World rankings; QS 129; THE 157; ARWU 201-300
National rankings: Times/Sunday Times 30; Guardian 63; Complete 26
Newcastle's marine biology degree programme is modular. Over its three-year course, you will cover study modules worth 20 credits apiece. You must earn 120 credits to qualify for your degree. You may do so with these course selections:
Many students supplement their studies with support from a biology tutor, which helps clarify complex concepts along the way.
Year 1
- Marine Biology
- Marine Animal Diversity
- The Marine Environment
- Marine Practical Skills
Year 2
- Tropical Marine Ecology
- Applied Marine Biology
- Oceans and Climate
- Marine Practical Skills II
Year 3
- Global Marine Science
- Advance Research
- Project topics 1 and 2
Besides those compulsory topics, you have a long list of elective courses to choose from. These prepare you to declare your speciality, as you continue through your postgraduate studies.
Grades: ABB
Courses: Biology, plus another science, including Environmental Science.
Tuition: £9 535 (2025 entry)
Financial aid: bursaries and scholarships available.
Work Placement and Studying Abroad
This university offers both options. In both cases, you will extend your studies by one year when you sign up.
You may spend a year at the Malaysia or Singapore facilities, studying those regions' ecology and marine life. Or, you can work with an approved marine organisation, anywhere in the world.
In either case, these experiences will boost your credentials. After graduation, whether you choose to continue studying or begin your career, you'll be ideally placed.
Marine Biology University UK
This chart shows the best university for marine biology UK, depending on location:
In addition, many prospective students benefit from supplementary biology lessons to reinforce their academic foundations.
| 📊Rank | 🏫School | 🔑Entry requirements | 📜Degrees and Specialities | 🐠Geographical advantages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide: QS - 236; THE - 201-250; ARWU - 201-300 Nationally: Complete - 40; Guardian - 12; Times/Sunday Times - 15 | University of Aberdeen | BBC Two Mathematics/Sciences | BSc Marine Biology | Oceanic climate, diverse ecologies in different bodies of water, |
| Worldwide: QS - 661-670; THE - 501-600; ARWU - 701-800 Nationally: Complete - 65; Guardian - 84; Times/Sunday Times - 70 | University of Plymouth | 120-144 UCAS tariff points (AAB-ABB) Biology plus another science. | BSc (Hons) Marine Biology | Freshwater and saltwater ecologies, protected waters, temperate oceanic climate. |
| Worldwide: QS - 80; THE - 115; ARWU - 151-200 Nationally: Complete - 20; Guardian - 22; Times/Sunday Times - 19 | University of Southampton | ABB Biology plus another science GCSE English, Mathematics, and Science | BSc, MSci Biology and Marine Biology BSc, MSci Environmental Geoscience | Oceanic climate, sheltered waterways, many water bodies with different ecology. |
| Worldwide: QS - 104; THE - 185; ARWU - 301-400 Nationally: Complete - 4; Guardian - 2; Times/Sunday Times - 2 | University of St Andrews | AAB-ABB Biology plus another science GCSE English, plus a science | BSc (hons) Marine Biology | Coastal city, maritime climate, minimal rainfall; Gatty Marine Laboratory |
| Worldwide: QS - 298; THE - 301-350; ARWU - 501-600 Nationally: Complete - 37; Guardian - 29; Times/Sunday Times - 37 | Swansea University, Wales | ABB-BBB Biology courses required | BSc (hons) Marine Biology | Mild climate, diverse marine ecology around the peninsula. |
Best Marine Biology Universities in Europe
Studying at the best universities in Europe for marine biology poses challenges. You must first complete your undergraduate studies, possibly through a Biology programme in the UK.
Still, Europe boasts many fine universities, a good number of which offer marine biology courses. According to MarineBio, these are the best offerings:
- University of Iceland - Master's degree only
- National University of Ireland: 4-year undergraduate programme; tuition: €27,140 (2025-26)
- University of Bremen, Germany - Master's and PhD programmes
- University of Porto, Portugal: Master's and PhD programmes (in Portuguese)
- Aarhus University, Denmark: PhD programmes only
- University of Bologna, Italy: Master's programme (in Italian)
Once ready for higher-level learning, the language barrier might bar you from your courses. Finally, tuition costs are usually high for international students.
You might find your path to international study easier in an English-speaking country. Or, through a university with international partnerships. The next schools on our list match those criteria.
Victoria University of Wellington
This New Zealand public research school is better known for its law and humanities programmes. Some of its science disciplines earn praise too, particularly its marine biology courses.
New Zealand boasts some of the world's most pristine, unique marine ecosystems. This school's Coastal Ecology Laboratory hugs Wellington's southern coast, providing ready access to marine life and geography.
Some students even seek guidance from a dedicated biology tutor to master complex concepts within these remarkable ecosystems.
World rankings: QS 244; THE 401-500; ARWU 401-500
New Zealand rankings: none available.
You can explore all of it when you sign up for a Marine Biology degree course at Wellington. Your three-year study includes instruction in:
Year 1
- Biology of animals
- Biology of plants
- Cellular and molecular biology
- Statistics
Year 2
- Plants and algae
- Introductory marine ecology
- Animal diversity
- Applied statistics
Year 3
- Marine ecology
- Applied marine biology
- Field marine ecology, or
- Tropical field marine ecology
Once students earn their undergraduate degree, they typically go on to a Master's programme, and complete their PhD. We found no other data on graduate outcomes for this school. Still, for its marine biology programmes alone, it should be considered a top school for biology worldwide.
Grades: 3 A-Levels, grade C or higher
Tuition: NZ$ 38 200 (~£17 191, depending on exchange rate)
Financial aid: available
Application deadline: May 1 2025 (for July 7 start)
Dalhousie University
This Canadian public research university, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is one of Canada's top universities for marine studies. This city sprawls along a coastline that teems with native marine and land species.
Its far-north location, on Canada's easternmost Atlantic shore, gives marine biologists troves of study-worthy conditions. As a Dalhousie undergraduate, you have the chance to narrow your scope of study to one of many specialities:
- Phycology - the study of algae
- Ichthyology - studying fish species
- Marine mammalogy
- Marine microbiology
- Marine ecology, and others
World rankings: QS 275; THE 301-350; ARWU 301-400
Canadian rankings: QS 12 THE 12-15 ARWU 13-16
Dalhousie offers two undergraduate marine biology study programmes:
Marine Biology BSc
- 4-year programme
- years 1, 2: general studies
- year 3: begin specific topic study
- year 4: complex science
Ocean Sciences BSc
- year 1 foundation courses
- year 2 broach specific topics
- year 3 begin physical oceanography
- year 4 geology and powers of oceans
Dalhousie's comprehensive programmes prepare you for higher-level studies and, ultimately, a career in research.
Notable alumni John F Marra, a biological oceanographer, and Armand Leroi, an evolutionary developmental biologist, exemplify this school's teaching quality.
This school presents applicants with a tuition calculator to estimate their costs, based on individual circumstances. It does not indicate a flat rate.
University of Tasmania (UTAS)
This underrated public research university has links to 20 specialist institutes and research centres around the world.
Its Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies is a driving force behind its high ratings as a research and educational facility among Australian universities.
World rankings: QS 293; THE 251-300; ARWU 201-300
Australian rankings: QS 20; THE 22-27; ARWU 18-22
UTAS presents undergraduates with five degree programme options:
- Marine and Antarctic Governance
- Marine Resource Management
- Sustainable Aquaculture
- Oceans, Ice and Climate (programme debuts in 2025)
- Marine Biology
You may pursue a double degree, in some cases, or opt for an honours (hons) programme. Only two of these courses require any prerequisites:
Oceans, Ice and Climate
- Mathematics Methods
- Physics
Marine Biology
- Chemistry
- General Mathematics
GCE A-Levels: minimum 7 score
Tuition: A$45,250/year; total course fee (for international students): A$142,651
Financial assistance: bursaries and scholarships available.
Many Australian universities offer undergraduate biology programmes, including for genetics study and research.
We highlight the Tasmanian programmes for the region's unique geography and features. And, because world-renowned marine scientists Jessica Melbourne-Thomas and Bill Mollison studied their disciplines at UTAS.
University of Maine (UMaine)
Like Australia, the US boasts many fine universities offering marine biology programmes. We chose UMaine as much for its geographical location and environment, as for its top rank as a research university.
Of all the universities in this US state, UMaine offers the most extensive marine biology programmes. It is a central landmark in the town of Orono, which lies near the Atlantic coast.
World rankings ARWU 501-600
National rankings: Washington Monthly 146; U.S. News & World Report 202; Forbes 509
Like UTAS, UMaine offers double degrees and honours programmes. Students may apply to one of this school's five undergraduate degree pathways into marine studies:
- Marine Science
- Marine Science with a focus on Oceanography
- Marine Science with a focus on Aquaculture
- Marine Science with a focus on Marine Biology
- Ecology and Environmental Sciences with Marine emphasis
Student learning outcomes demonstrate thorough knowledge of the marine environment. They are proficient in collecting, analysing and interpreting scientific data. They apply their conclusions to find solutions to our aquatic environments' most urgent problems.
Submit: application, school transcripts, and financial information
Course prerequisites: depend on your selected major
2025-26 tuition (international students): $36 870 plus $966/trimester
Financial aid is available.
Note that UMaine does not offer any programmes to study zoology, as UK universities do. However, its wildlife ecology degree courses are worth investigating, if that's where your interest lies.
Best Universities for Marine Biology Worldwide
| 📊Rank | 🏫 School | 💰Tuition | 📜Degrees & specialisations | 🌍Geographical advantages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide; QS 129; THE 157; ARWU 201-300 Nationally: Times/Sunday Times 30; Guardian 63; Complete 26 | Newcastle University, UK | £9 535 | BSc, MSc | Coastal North-Atlantic access |
| Worldwide: QS 244; THE 401-500; ARWU 401-500 Nationally: none available. | Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand | NZ$ 38 200 | Undergraduate through Doctorate | Temperate marine climate, Antarctic and Oceania waters |
| Worldwide: QS 275; THE 301-350; ARWU 301-400 Nationally: QS 12 THE 12-15 ARWU 13-16 | Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada | Estimated costs, based on individual circumstances | BSc, MSc, PhD | Surrounded by four major bodies of water |
| Worldwide: QS 293; THE 251-300; ARWU 201-300 Nationally: QS 20; THE 22-27; ARWU 18-22 | University of Tasmania, Australia | A$45,250/year | BSc, BSc (hons), Double degrees | Cool, temperate climate. Biodiverse environment. Many protected areas and ongoing conservation efforts. |
| Worldwide: ARWU 501-600 Nationally: Washington Monthly: 146 U.S. News & World Report: 202 Forbes: 509 | University of Maine, USA | US$36 870 plus $966/trimester | Bachelor's degree, Bachelor with honours Master's PhD | Humid, continental climate Diverse animal species Freshwater and saltwater species. |
If you prefer to study from home, you might also consider online biology lessons to further enhance your understanding of marine sciences.
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