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2027 Best Value Animal Science Schools in Illinois

[Animal Science](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/animal-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for animal science students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Animal Science Schools in Illinois

2027 Best Value Animal Science Schools in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in animal science, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Animal Science Schools

1

Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Carbondale, IL

$13,334 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,936 Avg Student Debt

$53,390 Median Earnings (10yr)

Southern Illinois University Carbondale tops our 2027 list of the best value animal science schools in Illinois. Set in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,334. Animal Science graduates carry a median of $21,936 in student loans. Animal Science graduates of Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn a median of $30,706 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,936 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.

2

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
Champaign, IL

$18,267 In-State Tuition & Fees

$19,850 Avg Student Debt

$81,054 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value animal science schools. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for animal science graduates is $19,850. Soon after graduation, animal science degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $42,723. Set against $19,850 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 42%.

View All Animal Science Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.