Is Colgate or Tufts better for biology majors?

The biggest practical tradeoff is depth versus access. Tufts offers a broader biology and biomedical environment, with stronger ties to graduate and professional schools in the Boston area, while Colgate can make it easier to get close faculty attention and secure undergraduate research earlier because it is a smaller liberal arts college.

For biology specifically, Tufts has more nearby research infrastructure and more ways to connect classroom work to hospitals, labs, and medical settings. That matters for both pre-med students and students who may want exposure to different subfields of biology before narrowing their interests. Its location also creates more opportunities for internships, shadowing, and summer lab work without having to leave the area.

Colgate’s strength is the undergraduate experience itself. Biology students are taught in a setting where undergrads are the clear priority, and that often translates into smaller classes, closer advising, and more direct relationships with professors. At a place like Colgate, research can be very accessible because you are not competing with large numbers of graduate students for faculty time and lab roles.

For pre-med, both can work well, but the experience feels different. Tufts may give you more surrounding medical and research options, while Colgate may give you more structured support and a more intimate academic community. If you are the kind of student who thrives by seeking out opportunities independently, Tufts has more of them. If you want faculty mentorship to be built into daily life, Colgate has a real advantage.

Overall, for biology alone, I would give Tufts the edge because its scientific ecosystem is wider and more flexible for both research-minded and pre-med students. I would lean toward Colgate only if the smaller liberal arts setting, closer professor access, and undergraduate-centered research experience are the parts you value most.