2026 Best Medical Scientist Schools in Illinois

Medical Scientist programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their medical scientist programs.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools to find the best for medical scientist students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Medical Scientist Schools in Illinois

Best Schools for Medical Scientist in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall medical scientist education in Illinois.

Top Schools in Medical Scientist

1

Northwestern University
Evanston, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

32 Medical Scientist Degrees Awarded

$124,451 Median Starting Salary

Our analysis ranked Northwestern University the best school in the country for a degree in medical scientist. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Evanston. Roughly 95% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 32 medical scientist degrees were awarded at Northwestern University in the most recent year. Medical Scientist graduates of Northwestern University earn a median of $124,451 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $16,616. See the full medical scientist program report for Northwestern University

2

Rush University
Chicago, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

14 Medical Scientist Degrees Awarded

$85,204 Median Starting Salary

Rush University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best medical scientist schools. Set in the city of Chicago, Rush University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. There were roughly 14 medical scientist students who graduated with this degree at Rush University in the most recent data year. Medical Scientist graduates of Rush University earn a median of $85,204 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $31,206. Get the full medical scientist details for Rush University

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 4 schools evaluated.

• 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.