2023 Best Value Colleges for General Biology (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
131
Ranked Colleges
12,616
Degrees Awarded
$7,200
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
With 107,165 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, general biology is the 5th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, general biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,334 and had an average of $23,818 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 12,616 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,013 and $25,277 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 131 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general biology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general biology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general biology program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Biology (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 134 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $2,500 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Chicago.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Biology at University of Chicago
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 Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 127 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $245 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Biology at Northwestern
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 491 diplomas to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Biology at UW - Madison
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 245 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Biology at U-M
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 251 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,995 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 General Biology at Purdue University - Main Campus
Michigan State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 484 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Michigan State has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $6,927 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Biology at Michigan State
With a ranking of #7, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 291 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $5,752 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Biology at IU Bloomington
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 495 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,068 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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 94%.
Read more about General Biology at Ohio State
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 264 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - La Crosse also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $7,517 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Biology at UW - La Crosse
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 193 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
IUPUI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,026 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IUPUI.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis General Biology Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
UIUC also took the #25 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on General Biology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Oberlin College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oberlin is located in Oberlin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
Oberlin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin is $8,756 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Biology at Oberlin
Grand Valley State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. GVSU is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 373 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, GVSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $10,259 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full GVSU General Biology Report
University of Notre Dame ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools 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 ’s biology degrees to 81 students in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame also made our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $9,872 for great lakes region biology 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 low undergrad 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 impressive undergraduate 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 General Biology at Notre Dame
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 466 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $10,549 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 General Biology at University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 77 degrees to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, UW - River Falls is in the top on our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,438 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - River Falls.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on General Biology at UW - River Falls
With a ranking of #17, Oakland University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland University is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 183 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $8,949 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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 General Biology at Oakland University
Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Ball State University is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 141 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $8,273 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Biology at Ball State University
Michigan Technological University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan Tech is a public institution located in Houghton, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,520 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan Tech.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Biology at Michigan Technological University
Miami University - Oxford ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oxford, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biology degrees to 317 students in 2020-2021.
Miami University - Oxford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,956 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Read full report on General Biology at Miami University - Oxford
Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Hammond, Indiana, this medium-sized public school handed out 71 degrees to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,775 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.
Read full report on General Biology at Purdue University Northwest
With a ranking of #22, University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is a public institution located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,741 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Biology at UW - Parkside
With a ranking of #23, Indiana University - South Bend did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in South Bend, Indiana, and it awarded 23 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,504 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - South Bend.
Read more about General Biology at Indiana University - South Bend
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 162 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $8,047 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on General Biology at SIUE
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school awarded 258 diplomas to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $15,061 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.
Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus General Biology Report
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