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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Biology (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois

37 Ranked Colleges
2,474 Degrees Awarded
$20,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 102,043 general biology students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country. 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 $75-$110k” ranking looked at 37 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Biology Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Biology (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $16,784 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Biology at Northwestern University

#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 $75-$110k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 147 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,929 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UChicago.

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 impressive 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at UChicago

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. UIS is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 27 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend UIS is $17,342 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on General Biology at University of Illinois at Springfield

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 116 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k list, NIU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $21,425 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about General Biology at Northern Illinois University

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k 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 409 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $20,270 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 more about General Biology at University of Illinois at Chicago

#6

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 39 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 estimated yearly cost for SXU is $18,457 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on General Biology at SXU

#7

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. GSU is a public institution located in University Park, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $17,845 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about General Biology at Governors State University

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 134 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,928 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SIUE.

Read full report on General Biology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#9

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $19,147 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about General Biology at Eastern Illinois University

#10

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Aurora, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

Aurora not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Aurora is $19,609 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 Aurora University

#11

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Saint Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 10 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,629 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k 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%.

Full University of Saint Francis 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 $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $20,181 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Western Illinois University General Biology Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $20,698 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on General Biology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#14

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $24,299 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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. The low 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 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

#15

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 18 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin also took the #23 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $23,486 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Millikin University.

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 more about General Biology at Millikin

#16

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. 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.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k list, Augustana has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $23,730 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 College General Biology Report

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #17. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 87 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $22,526 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Northeastern Illinois University General Biology Report

#18

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #18. Quincy University is located in Quincy, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Quincy University is $18,515 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on General Biology at Quincy U

#19

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k list, Dominican U has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $21,979 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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.

Read more about General Biology at Dominican University

#20

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 117 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $25,379 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State General Biology Report

#21

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Jacksonville, Illinois, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $19,711 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Illinois College.

Full Illinois College General Biology Report

#22 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $21,998 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General Biology Report

#23

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $23,604 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Elmhurst University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at Elmhurst

#24

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 32 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Knox is $23,813 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 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%.

Full Knox College General Biology Report

#25

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for North Park is $19,563 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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.

Read full report on General Biology at North Park

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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