2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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.
For this year’s “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking, we looked at 39 colleges that offer a degree 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Biology in Illinois
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 117 students in 2019-2020.
Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.
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
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 134 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.
Read more about General Biology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
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 list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.
UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIS is $12,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.
Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 116 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
NIU also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.
Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 409 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.
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 estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.
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 University of Illinois at Chicago General Biology Report
Western Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. 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 yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.
Eastern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students.
Northeastern Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 87 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students.
Read full report on General Biology at Northeastern Illinois University
Governors State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. University Park, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $12,077 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students.
Read more about General Biology at Governors State University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #10. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about General Biology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
National University of Health Sciences did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Lombard, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.
National College of Chiropractic not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full National College of Chiropractic General Biology Report
With a ranking of #13, Chicago State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Chicago State University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 19 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSU is $11,733 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on General Biology at Chicago State University
Aurora University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Aurora University 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.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biology students list, Aurora has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora is $17,215 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students.
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%.
Blackburn College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #15. Carlinville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,993 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students per year to attend Blackburn College.
Eureka College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Eureka College is located in Eureka, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $21,344 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students per year to attend Eureka College.
University of St Francis ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This small school is located in Joliet, Illinois, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Saint Francis, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Saint Francis is $17,538 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students.
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%.
Illinois College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Jacksonville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biology students list, Illinois College has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $16,562 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students.
North Park University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. North Park is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 31 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $19,170 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students per year to attend North Park 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 full report on General Biology at North Park University
Quincy University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Quincy, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 25 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,497 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students per year to attend Quincy University.
Saint Xavier University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. SXU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SXU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SXU is $14,528 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.
Wheaton College Illinois landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wheaton, Illinois. It awarded 19 bachelors’s biology degrees 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 estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Dominican University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Dominican University is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Dominican U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,268 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students per year to attend Dominican U.
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.
Elmhurst University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Elmhurst University 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 made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.
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%.
McKendree University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. McKendree is located in Lebanon, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $19,844 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students per year to attend McKendree University.
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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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