by our College Data Analytics TeamWe've pulled together some essential information you should know about the program, including how many students graduate each year, the ethnic diversity of these students, average starting salaries, and more. We've also included details on how WIU ranks compared to other colleges offering a major in biology.
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The bachelor's program at WIU was ranked #384 on College Factual's Best Schools for biology list. It is also ranked #14 in Illinois.
| Ranking Type | Rank |
|---|---|
| Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools | 377 |
| Best General Biology Schools | 384 |
During the 2021-2022 academic year, Western Illinois University handed out 42 bachelor's degrees in general biology. This is a decrease of 22% over the previous year when 54 degrees were handed out.
In 2022, 19 students received their master’s degree in biology from WIU. This makes it the #86 most popular school for biology master’s degree candidates in the country.
The median salary of biology students who receive their bachelor's degree at WIU is $34,052. This is higher than $32,337, which is the national median for all biology bachelor's degree recipients.
While getting their bachelor's degree at WIU, biology students borrow a median amount of $44,782 in student loans. This is higher than the the typical median of $27,650 for all biology majors across the country.
The typical student loan payment of a bachelor's degree student from the biology program at WIU is $548 per month.
In 2022-2023, the average part-time undergraduate tuition at WIU was $312 per credit hour for both in-state and out-of-state students. The average full-time tuition and fees for undergraduates are shown in the table below.
| In State | Out of State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $9,359 | $9,359 |
| Fees | $4,726 | $4,726 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 |
| On Campus Room and Board | $10,920 | $10,920 |
| On Campus Other Expenses | $1,776 | $1,776 |
Learn more about WIU tuition and fees.
Of the 42 students who earned a bachelor's degree in General Biology from WIU in 2021-2022, 36% were men and 64% were women.
The majority of the students with this major are white. About 69% of 2022 graduates were in this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Western Illinois University with a bachelor's in biology.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 2 |
| Black or African American | 5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5 |
| White | 29 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 0 |
| Other Races | 1 |
Online degrees for the WIU biology bachelor’s degree program are not available at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the WIU Online Learning page.
Biology majors graduating with a master's degree from WIU make a median salary of $47,820 a year. This is a better than average outcome since the median salary for all biology graduates with a master's is $43,317.
In the 2021-2022 academic year, 8 students earned a master's degree in biology from WIU. About 75% of these graduates were women and the other 25% were men.
The majority of master's degree recipients in this major at WIU are white. In the most recent graduating class for which data is available, 88% of students fell into this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Western Illinois University with a master's in biology.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 0 |
| Black or African American | 0 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0 |
| White | 7 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 1 |
| Other Races | 0 |
Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the biology majors at Western Illinois University.
More about our data sources and methodologies.