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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Biology Studies in Illinois (With Aid)

38 Ranked Colleges
2,447 Degrees Awarded
$17,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 91,804 biology studies students received their degree, making the major the 6th most popular in the country.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 38 colleges that offer a degree in biology studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent biology studies programs, but they also 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

The biological sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Biology Studies in Illinois (With Aid)

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 409 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at UIC

#18 in overall quality

Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #2 spot on the list. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

UIS also made our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $12,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Read full report on Biology Studies at UIS

#3

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 116 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students with aid.

Full NIU Biology Studies Report

#4

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Governors State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Governors State University is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend GSU is $12,077 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Biology Studies at Governors State University

#5

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Xavier University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. SXU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

SXU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,528 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students with aid per year to attend SXU.

Full SXU Biology Studies Report

#21 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students with aid.

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 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%.

Full UIUC Biology Studies Report

#17 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 134 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students with aid per year to attend SIUE.

Read more about Biology Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 60 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biological sciences students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students with aid per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Full Eastern Illinois University Biology Studies Report

#9

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

University of St Francis ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Saint Francis, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,538 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students with aid per year to attend University of St Francis.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at University of Saint Francis

#10

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students with aid.

Read more about Biology Studies at WIU

#11

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State 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 Getting Aid ranking. CSU is a small public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 19 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,733 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students with aid per year to attend Chicago State University.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Biology Studies at Chicago State University

#12

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Aurora University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Aurora is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

Aurora also made our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Aurora University is $17,215 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read more about Biology Studies at Aurora University

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 87 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students with aid per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Biology Studies Report

With a ranking of #14, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students with aid per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read more about Biology Studies at SIUC

#15

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 117 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students with aid per year to attend Illinois State University.

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%.

Full Illinois State Biology Studies Report

#16

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Illinois College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois College is a small school located in Jacksonville, Illinois that handed out 23 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College also made our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $16,562 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students with aid per year to attend Illinois College.

Full Illinois College Biology Studies Report

#17

Blackburn College

Carlinville, Illinois

Blackburn College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Blackburn College is a small school located in Carlinville, Illinois that handed out 10 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Blackburn College is $15,993 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students with aid.

Full Blackburn Biology Studies Report

#18

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 23 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also made our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $19,268 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students with aid per year to attend Dominican U.

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.

Full Dominican U Biology Studies Report

#19

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Quincy U is located in Quincy, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Quincy University is $17,497 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students with aid.

Read more about Biology Studies at Quincy U

#20

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Augustana College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Augustana College is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 99 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also made our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $23,874 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Augustana

#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 Getting Aid 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 $21,331 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students with aid.

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 full report on Biology Studies at Millikin University

#22

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Elmhurst University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 32 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also took the #13 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students with aid.

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 Biology Studies Report

#23

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Northwestern 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.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students with aid list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $24,664 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Northwestern

#24

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Park University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for North Park University is $19,170 for illinois bachelor’s degree biological sciences students with aid.

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.

Read full report on Biology Studies at North Park University

#25

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 32 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biological sciences students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at Olivet Nazarene University

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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