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2024 Best General Biology Schools in Illinois

35 Colleges in Illinois
2,868 Biology Degrees Awarded
$27,289 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in general biology, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #5 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual reviewed 35 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of general biology. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,868 degrees in general biology during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General Biology School

Best General Biology Schools in Illinois Your choice of general biology school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall General Biology School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your General Biology Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Biology
Master's Degrees in Biology
Doctor's Degrees in Biology

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best General Biology Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

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. 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.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for General Biology in Illinois

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the biology degree levels they offer.

10 Top Illinois Schools in Biology

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
134 Biology Degrees Awarded
$24,335 Median Starting Salary

University of Chicago is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in general biology. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 134 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, biology degree recipients usually make around $24,335 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of Chicago

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 Biology Degrees Awarded
10.2% Growth in Graduates

Northwestern University is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in general biology. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 127 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the biology program earn an average of $19,001 for their early career.

More information about a degree in general biology from Northwestern University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
466 Biology Degrees Awarded
9.9% Growth in Graduates

University of Illinois at Chicago is a good choice for students interested in a degree in general biology. UIC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were about 466 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the biology program earn about $23,743 for their early career.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of Illinois at Chicago

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
380 Biology Degrees Awarded
3.2% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat Loyola University Chicago if you wish to pursue a degree in general biology. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were about 380 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the biology program earn an average of $20,365 for their early career.

More information about a degree in general biology from Loyola University Chicago

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40th Most Popular In IL
63.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 11 general biology students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general biology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
143 Biology Degrees Awarded
8.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #231 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 143 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. General Biology degree recipients from Illinois State University get an earnings boost of approximately $4,538 above the typical income of general biology graduates.

More information about a degree in general biology from Illinois State University

7
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
36th Most Popular In IL
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Lake Forest, Lake Forest is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #289 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Lake Forest is a great college overall.

There were roughly 16 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Lake Forest in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general biology from Lake Forest College

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
90 Biology Degrees Awarded
$35,021 Median Starting Salary

NIU is a large public university located in the small suburb of Dekalb. This university ranks 24th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 90 general biology students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general biology major at Northern Illinois University get $7,732 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general biology from Northern Illinois University

9
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
91 Biology Degrees Awarded
$25,342 Median Starting Salary

Augustana is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Rock Island. A Best Colleges rank of #471 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Augustana is a great college overall.

There were about 91 general biology students who graduated with this degree at Augustana in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the biology program earn about $25,342 for their early career.

More information about a degree in general biology from Augustana College

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Biology Degrees Awarded
13.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 58 general biology students who graduated with this degree at SIUC in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the biology program make around $28,907 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in general biology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Best General Biology Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 2,790
Ohio 314 3,097
Indiana 294 1,760
Wisconsin 273 1,970

View All Rankings >

General Biology is one of 14 different types of Biological & Biomedical Sciences programs to choose from.

Biology Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Biology Studies 2,564
General Biomedical Sciences 304

View All Biology Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Neurobiology & Neurosciences 569
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences 423
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology 275
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other) 269
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology 168
Physiology & Pathology Sciences 119
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics 95
Biotechnology 95
Zoology 73
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology 58

View All Biology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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