2026 Best Value Biotechnology Schools in Illinois
[Biotechnology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/biotechnology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for biotechnology students.
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2026 Best Value Biotechnology Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in biotechnology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Biotechnology Schools
For return on investment in biotechnology, no school beat University Of Illinois At Chicago this year. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,949, while out-of-state students pay about $32,009. Students borrow a median of $20,115 to complete the biotechnology program here. Soon after graduation, biotechnology degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Chicago generally make around $61,829. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Illinois At Chicago admits about 77% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign one of the best values for biotechnology. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,778 to complete the biotechnology program here. Soon after graduation, biotechnology degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $57,461. That is a strong return on a $20,778 median debt. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in biotechnology will find it at Northwestern University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,322. Typical student debt for biotechnology graduates is $16,616. Soon after graduation, biotechnology degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $75,972. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 8%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 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.
