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

38 Ranked Colleges
2,447 Degrees Awarded
$13,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Biology Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 6th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 91,804 degrees were awarded to students with this major.

Across Illinois, there were 2,622 biology studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,447 biology studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 38 colleges that offered a degree in biology studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality biology studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

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

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

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 147 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,712 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Biology Studies at University of Chicago

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 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 Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 91 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biological sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $1,866 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Biology Studies at Northwestern University

#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 2 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $5,477 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Biology Studies at UIUC

#17 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 134 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

SIUE also made our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SIUE Biology Studies Report

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 409 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,648 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at University of Illinois at Chicago

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 116 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $15,281 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Biology Studies at Northern Illinois University

#7

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Saint Xavier University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biological sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SXU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Xavier University is $11,266 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Biology Studies at SXU

#18 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also took the #18 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $9,771 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Read more about Biology Studies at UIS

#9

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Governors State University is a public institution located in University Park, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,872 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Governors State University.

Read full report on Biology Studies at GSU

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Illinois State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 117 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $14,470 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full Illinois State Biology Studies Report

#11

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,350 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Biology Studies at EIU

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 78 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $13,942 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full WIU Biology Studies Report

#13

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

University of St Francis came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of St Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Saint Francis is $15,847 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Read more about Biology Studies at University of St Francis

#14

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Aurora University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Aurora, Illinois. It awarded 21 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora also made our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Aurora is $14,103 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Biology Studies at Aurora

#15

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Illinois. It awarded 23 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois College, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $11,376 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Biology Studies at Illinois College

#16

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biological sciences students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at Wheaton College Illinois

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $13,658 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SIUC Biology Studies Report

#18

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Augustana College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Augustana is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 99 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #4 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,355 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Augustana.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Biology Studies at Augustana

#19

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $16,903 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Elmhurst University Biology Studies Report

#20

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Lake Forest College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lake Forest is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest also took the #10 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $18,192 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Biology Studies at Lake Forest

#21

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Millikin is located in Decatur, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $17,656 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Biology Studies at Millikin

#22

Blackburn College

Carlinville, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Blackburn College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Blackburn is a private not-for-profit institution located in Carlinville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,812 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Blackburn.

Read more about Biology Studies at Blackburn

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Biology Studies at Northeastern Illinois University

#24

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Bloomington, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biological sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois Wesleyan has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan is $18,570 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Biology Studies at Illinois Wesleyan University

#25

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Knox College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biological sciences students in 2019-2020.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Knox College is $16,828 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Biology Studies at Knox

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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