This was one of the (smaller) things that put me off the idea of getting my Masters in biology. It was a very real thing in the college of science at my university.

Though it was slightly different at the top for us. Mathematicians, astrophysicists, other theoretical physicists, and experimental physicists where all top of the college, but then they sub-layered themselves in that order. In the bio department Microbiologists were the top rank. But in our case it was because the Micro department held a couple patents that brought in big money.