2026 Best Value Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering Schools in Illinois
[Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering](/majors/engineering/biomedical-engineering/bioengineering-biomedical-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for bioengineering & biomedical engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the bioengineering & biomedical engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering Schools
For return on investment in bioengineering & biomedical engineering, no school beat University Of Illinois At Chicago this year. University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $15,949 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $32,009. Typical student debt for bioengineering & biomedical engineering graduates is $22,500. Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of $55,011 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a great value for students pursuing a degree in bioengineering & biomedical engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for bioengineering & biomedical engineering graduates is $16,850. Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $71,485 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,850 median debt. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Students looking for strong value in bioengineering & biomedical engineering will find it at Northern Illinois University, which ranked #3. Northern Illinois University is a large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb. Students from in state pay about $13,060 in tuition and fees. Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering graduates carry a median of $20,521 in student loans. Early-career bioengineering & biomedical engineering graduates make about $54,047. Set against $20,521 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Northern Illinois University admits about 70% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Illinois Institute Of Technology one of the best values for bioengineering & biomedical engineering. Located in the city of Chicago, Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $52,202. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the bioengineering & biomedical engineering program here. Early-career bioengineering & biomedical engineering graduates make about $48,572. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 55% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in bioengineering & biomedical engineering will find it at Northwestern University, which ranked #5. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. Students from in state pay about $68,322 in tuition and fees. Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering graduates carry a median of $17,063 in student loans. Early-career bioengineering & biomedical engineering graduates make about $74,631. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
