by our College Data Analytics TeamWe've pulled together some essential information you should know about the program, including how many students graduate each year, the ethnic diversity of these students, average starting salaries, and more. We've also included details on how WIU ranks compared to other colleges offering a major in biology.
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The bachelor's program at WIU was ranked #532 on College Factual's Best Schools for biology list. It is also ranked #28 in Illinois.
During the 2020-2021 academic year, Western Illinois University handed out 54 bachelor's degrees in general biology. This is a decrease of 31% over the previous year when 78 degrees were handed out.
In 2021, 19 students received their master’s degree in biology from WIU. This makes it the #86 most popular school for biology master’s degree candidates in the country.
The median salary of biology students who receive their bachelor's degree at WIU is $29,129. This is great news for graduates of the program, since this figure is higher than the national average of $27,253 for all biology bachelor's degree recipients.
Graduates of the master's biology program at WIU make a median salary of $47,822. This is a better than average outcome since the median salary for all biology graduates with a master's is $36,880.
While getting their bachelor's degree at WIU, biology students borrow a median amount of $27,585 in student loans. This is higher than the the typical median of $25,375 for all biology majors across the country.
The typical student loan payment of a bachelor's degree student from the biology program at WIU is $548 per month.
Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the biology majors at Western Illinois University.
For the most recent academic year available, 35% of biology bachelor's degrees went to men and 65% went to women.
The majority of bachelor's degree recipients in this major at WIU are white. In the most recent graduating class for which data is available, 61% of students fell into this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Western Illinois University with a bachelor's in biology.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 0 |
| Black or African American | 13 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4 |
| White | 33 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 1 |
| Other Races | 3 |
During the 2020-2021 academic year, 19 students graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology from WIU. About 42% were men and 58% were women.
The majority of the students with this major are white. About 63% of 2021 graduates were in this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Western Illinois University with a master's in biology.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 0 |
| Black or African American | 0 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0 |
| White | 12 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 4 |
| Other Races | 3 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
