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2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

150 Ranked Colleges
10,265 Degrees Awarded
$7,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

With 91,804 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, biology studies is the 6th most popular major in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 11,446 biology studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 10,265 biology studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 150 colleges that offer a degree in biology studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great biology studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the biology studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Biology Studies Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Biology Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 150 schools in the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 147 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $2,712 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UChicago.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UChicago Biology Studies Report

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $1,866 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Northwestern University Biology Studies Report

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 150 schools in the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 178 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biological sciences students in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $3,166 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at U-M

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 150 schools in the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #4 spot on the list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to 376 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,367 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Biology Studies at UW - Madison

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 150 schools in the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #5 spot on the list. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 262 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $7,939 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Biology Studies Report

#6

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#8 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to 101 students in 2019-2020.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $5,483 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Biology Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus

#7

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#16 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 268 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $4,969 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Biology Studies Report

#12 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 486 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,194 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at Ohio State

Indiana University - Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Gary, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Northwest is $3,287 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Biology Studies at IU Northwest

#10

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#21 in overall quality

Michigan State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 412 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Biology Studies at Michigan State University

#11

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#4 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to 76 students in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,498 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Notre Dame Biology Studies Report

#12

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 89 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - River Falls has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,366 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - River Falls.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#13

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio
#11 in overall quality

Oberlin College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oberlin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oberlin, Ohio. It awarded 43 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Oberlin also took the #11 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oberlin College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Biology Studies at Oberlin

Michigan Technological University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Houghton, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biological sciences students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,295 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan Tech.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Biology Studies at Michigan Technological University

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $5,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Biology Studies at UIUC

#16

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 76 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Northwest is $6,911 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Purdue Northwest Biology Studies Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 137 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $5,052 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Biology Studies at IUPUI

#18

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 101 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UW - Whitewater is in the top on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $11,868 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

Full UW - Whitewater Biology Studies Report

#19

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
Top 20% in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 81 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biological sciences students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Platteville also did well on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $12,117 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Biology Studies at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#20

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to 99 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Biology Studies at UW - Stevens Point

#21

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#20 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 103 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, GVSU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,578 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GVSU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Grand Valley State University Biology Studies Report

#22

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,337 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.

Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Biology Studies Report

Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 95 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biological sciences students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,687 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW Oshkosh.

Read full report on Biology Studies at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#24

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 119 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $11,528 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Biology Studies at UW - Eau Claire

#25

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ball State is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 141 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,403 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ball State University.

Read more about Biology Studies at Ball State University

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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