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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Biology (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

91 Ranked Colleges
6,017 Degrees Awarded
$10,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

General Biology is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 102,043 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 the Plains States region, there were 6,702 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,984 and $23,545 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,017 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 91 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general biology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general biology programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general biology program at the school. 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 Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 115 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Washington University in St Louis is $6,248 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at WUSTL

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Morris. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This small school is located in Morris, Minnesota, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Morris is $3,435 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at University of Minnesota - Morris

#3

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 359 students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $8,418 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Biology at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Missouri University of Science and Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized public school situated in Rolla, Missouri. It awarded 56 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri University of Science and Technology, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,660 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Missouri University of Science and Technology General Biology Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 143 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $7,992 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMN Duluth.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Minnesota - Duluth General Biology Report

#6

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota

With a ranking of #6, St Olaf College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. St Olaf College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northfield, Minnesota. It awarded 114 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, St. Olaf has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,276 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend St. Olaf.

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 low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 St Olaf College

#7

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri

Truman State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Kirksville, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Truman State is $8,269 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Full Truman State University General Biology Report

#8

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota

With a ranking of #8, Macalester College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Macalester College is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

Macalester did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Macalester College is $14,047 for plains states region bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Full Macalester College General Biology Report

#9

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,838 for plains states region bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Missouri - St Louis.

Read more about General Biology at UMSL

#10

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa

With a ranking of #10, Grinnell College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Grinnell College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Grinnell, Iowa. It awarded 41 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Grinnell also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,818 for plains states region bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Grinnell College.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about General Biology at Grinnell

#11

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. St. Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, St. Cloud State University has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Cloud State University is $11,274 for plains states region bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full St. Cloud State University General Biology Report

North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 124 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $12,544 for plains states region bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at North Dakota State University

#13

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota

With a ranking of #13, Carleton College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Carleton is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northfield, Minnesota. It awarded 61 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Carleton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Carleton is $9,358 for plains states region bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Carleton College General Biology Report

With a ranking of #14, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 190 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $10,843 for plains states region bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Iowa State.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Biology at Iowa State University

#15

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Winona State University is a public institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Winona State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $13,606 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Winona State University General Biology Report

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Mizzou is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 189 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $11,595 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia General Biology Report

Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 102 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $11,781 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato.

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 Minnesota State Mankato General Biology Report

#18

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 90 students in 2019-2020.

UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,495 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at UNI

#19

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bemidji, Minnesota, this small public school awarded 42 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Bemidji State University is $11,658 for plains states region bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Biology at Bemidji State University

With a ranking of #20, Southwest Minnesota State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southwest Minnesota State University is located in Marshall, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Minnesota State University is $11,410 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Southwest Minnesota State University General Biology Report

Missouri Southern State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Joplin, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 92 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Southern is $8,416 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Missouri Southern State University General Biology Report

Northwest Missouri State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Maryville, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northwest Missouri State University is $9,863 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Biology at Northwest Missouri State University

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 110 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNL also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $13,508 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

With a ranking of #24, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 117 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Omaha is $11,460 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Biology at University of Nebraska at Omaha

#25

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #25, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of North Dakota is a fairly large school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 80 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Dakota is $11,916 for plains states region bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 UND

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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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