2023 Best Value Colleges for General Biology (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
131
Ranked Colleges
12,616
Degrees Awarded
$8,700
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
With 107,165 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, general biology is the 5th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, general biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,334 and had an average of $23,818 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 12,616 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,013 and $25,277 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 131 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general biology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general biology programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general biology program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank General Biology Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Biology (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 131 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 134 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $4,777 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about General Biology at University of Chicago
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 127 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $917 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about General Biology at Northwestern University
Out of the 131 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biology degrees to 251 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Purdue has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,853 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Biology at Purdue
Out of the 131 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 491 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,788 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UW - Madison General Biology Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 245 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, U-M has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,670 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full U-M General Biology Report
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 291 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,061 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full IU Bloomington General Biology Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biology degrees to 495 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Ohio State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,581 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about General Biology at Ohio State
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biology degrees to 193 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, IUPUI has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $8,216 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full IUPUI General Biology Report
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 264 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - La Crosse, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,075 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - La Crosse.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Biology at UW - La Crosse
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 11 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,036 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Biology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Oakland University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 183 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $8,839 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Biology at Oakland University
Grand Valley State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school awarded 373 degrees to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, GVSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,026 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend GVSU.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Biology at GVSU
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 466 diplomas to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIC has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $11,351 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Chicago General Biology Report
Oberlin College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oberlin College is located in Oberlin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
Oberlin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin College is $13,745 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Oberlin General Biology Report
Indiana University - South Bend landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in South Bend, Indiana, and it awarded 23 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $6,544 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about General Biology at Indiana University - South Bend
University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 77 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - River Falls also did well on our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $9,478 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about General Biology at University of Wisconsin - River Falls
Michigan Technological University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Michigan Technological University is a medium-sized school located in Houghton, Michigan that handed out 30 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,983 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Michigan Technological University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Biology at Michigan Technological University
Michigan State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 484 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $15,170 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Michigan State University General Biology Report
Purdue University Northwest landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Purdue Northwest is located in Hammond, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Northwest is $8,608 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Purdue University Northwest General Biology Report
Ball State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 141 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $10,786 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ball State University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Ball State University General Biology Report
University of Notre Dame came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s biology degrees to 81 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $9,136 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about General Biology at Notre Dame
Purdue University Fort Wayne landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this medium-sized public school awarded 60 diplomas to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne is $8,427 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about General Biology at PFW
Denison University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Denison University is a small school located in Granville, Ohio that handed out 56 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Denison also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Denison is $14,686 for Great Lakes Region Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Denison General Biology Report
With a ranking of #24, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $8,482 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Biology at University of Illinois at Springfield
University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. UW - Parkside is a small public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 36 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $8,022 for great lakes region biology students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Biology at UW - Parkside
