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2022 Best Value Colleges for General Biology (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

38 Ranked Colleges
2,863 Degrees Awarded
$13,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

With 102,043 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, general biology is the 5th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, general biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $28,233 and had an average of $23,964 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 2,863 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,700 and $25,592 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 38 colleges that offer a degree in general biology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general biology programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general biology program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. 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 Illinois 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. 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 Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Biology (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 114 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $1,866 for illinois biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Northwestern General Biology Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 148 ’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,712 for Illinois Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Read more about General Biology at UChicago

Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biology degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $5,477 for Illinois Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UIUC General Biology Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 153 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for illinois biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville General Biology Report

Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 420 ’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $10,648 for Illinois Biology 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 General Biology at UIC

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 136 ’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for Illinois Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Biology at Northern Illinois University

#7

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. SXU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, SXU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $11,266 for illinois biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SXU.

Read more about General Biology at Saint Xavier University

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified ’s biology students in 2019-2020.

UIS also made our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $9,771 for illinois biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Biology at University of Illinois at Springfield

#9

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school awarded 13 degrees to qualified ’s biology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend GSU is $10,872 for illinois biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Biology at GSU

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 131 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $14,470 for Illinois Biology 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 General Biology at Illinois State University

#11

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 83 ’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $12,350 for Illinois Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Biology at EIU

#12

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s biology degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,847 for Illinois Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at University of Saint Francis

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 95 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,942 for illinois biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WIU.

Full Western Illinois University General Biology Report

#14

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Aurora University is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 21 ’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Aurora has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora University is $14,103 for illinois biology 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 Aurora General Biology Report

#15

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Jacksonville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s biology degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $11,376 for illinois biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Biology at Illinois College

#16

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for Illinois Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about General Biology at Wheaton College Illinois

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 50 ’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $13,658 for Illinois Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SIUC General Biology Report

#18

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 99 degrees to qualified ’s biology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,355 for illinois biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Augustana College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 more about General Biology at Augustana College

#19

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 32 ’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $16,903 for illinois biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Elmhurst University

#20

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Lake Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified ’s biology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lake Forest, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,192 for Illinois Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lake Forest.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Lake Forest College

#21

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Millikin University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Millikin University is $17,656 for illinois biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Millikin University General Biology Report

#22

Blackburn College

Carlinville, Illinois

Blackburn College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Blackburn is located in Carlinville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Blackburn is $13,812 for Illinois Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Blackburn College General Biology Report

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 94 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,816 for Illinois Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read more about General Biology at Northeastern Illinois University

#24

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bloomington, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s biology degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan also made our “Best General Biology Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan University is $18,570 for illinois biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Illinois Wesleyan General Biology Report

#25

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

With a ranking of #25, Knox College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 32 diplomas to qualified ’s biology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,828 for Illinois Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Knox College.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%. 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 more about General Biology at Knox College

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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