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2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

38 Ranked Colleges
2,474 Degrees Awarded
$13,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,474 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 38 colleges that offered 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 picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Biology (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 91 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $3,995 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 147 students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,800 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.

Full University of Chicago General Biology Report

#22 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

UIUC also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $8,464 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k 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 full report on General Biology at UIUC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $8,323 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Read more about General Biology at University of Illinois at Springfield

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 134 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $9,938 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SIUE.

Read more about General Biology at SIUE

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 409 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $11,185 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 116 students in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $15,861 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full NIU General Biology Report

#8

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

SXU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SXU is $11,962 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Biology at SXU

#9

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 60 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend EIU is $11,316 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Biology at Eastern Illinois University

#10

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of St Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 10 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend University of Saint Francis is $11,229 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full University of Saint Francis General Biology Report

#11

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $12,046 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Governors State University General Biology Report

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 78 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $14,526 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Western Illinois University General Biology Report

#13

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 117 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Illinois State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,999 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at Illinois State

#14

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Aurora is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

Aurora did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Aurora is $13,845 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Aurora

#15

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Knox is a small school located in Galesburg, Illinois that handed out 32 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,186 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Knox.

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%. 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 General Biology at Knox

#16

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois College is located in Jacksonville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

Illinois College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $12,454 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Biology at Illinois College

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 49 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,306 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale General Biology Report

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 87 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,513 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Northeastern Illinois University General Biology Report

#19

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Lake Forest College is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 24 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Lake Forest has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $19,152 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Lake Forest College General Biology Report

#20

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Elmhurst is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $17,837 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on General Biology at Elmhurst University

#21

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dominican U, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,586 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dominican University.

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 Dominican U General Biology Report

#22

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wheaton College Illinois has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,212 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

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 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Biology at Wheaton College Illinois

#23

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

With a ranking of #23, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Augustana is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 99 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,249 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Augustana College.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Augustana General Biology Report

#24

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Millikin University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 18 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $17,692 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 General Biology at Millikin

#25

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

With a ranking of #25, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois Wesleyan is a small school located in Bloomington, Illinois that handed out 26 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan is $19,857 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on General Biology at Illinois Wesleyan

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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