2026 Best Value Microbiology Schools in Illinois
[Microbiology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/microbiological-sciences-immunology/microbiology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong microbiology education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value microbiology schools.
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2026 Best Value Microbiology Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the microbiology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Microbiology Schools
Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, our #1 best value for microbiology in Illinois. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,778 to complete the microbiology program here. Soon after graduation, microbiology degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $57,461. That is a strong return on a $20,778 median debt. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign admits about 42% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Chicago earned it the #2 place for microbiology. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $69,324 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $15,854 to complete the microbiology program here. Soon after graduation, microbiology degree recipients from University Of Chicago generally make around $81,002. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Chicago admits about 4% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
