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2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

38 Ranked Colleges
2,474 Degrees Awarded
$17,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 102,043 general biology students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, general biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $28,233 and had an average of $23,964 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 2,863 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,700 and $25,592 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,474 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 38 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general biology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general biology programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general biology program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Biology in Illinois (With Aid)

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. UIC is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 409 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biology students with aid list, UIC has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,312 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend UIC.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC General Biology Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school handed out 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

UIS also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $12,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Full UIS General Biology Report

#3

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 116 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid per year to attend NIU.

Read more about General Biology at Northern Illinois University

#4

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Governors State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Governors State University is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 13 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Governors State University is $12,077 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

Read full report on General Biology at GSU

#5

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Xavier University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. SXU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,528 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid per year to attend SXU.

Read more about General Biology at SXU

#22 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UIUC General Biology Report

With a ranking of #7, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 134 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree biology students with aid list, SIUE has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.

Read full report on General Biology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. EIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 60 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend EIU.

Read full report on General Biology at Eastern Illinois University

#9

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of St Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 10 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of St Francis is $17,538 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 St Francis General Biology Report

#10

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.

Full Western Illinois University General Biology Report

#11

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSU is $11,733 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about General Biology at Chicago State University

#12

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Aurora University is $17,215 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at Aurora

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

Read full report on General Biology at Northeastern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

Read full report on General Biology at SIUC

#15

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 117 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at Illinois State

#16

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jacksonville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois College, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $16,562 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.

Read full report on General Biology at Illinois College

#17

Blackburn College

Carlinville, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Blackburn College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Blackburn is a small school located in Carlinville, Illinois that handed out 10 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Blackburn College is $15,993 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

Read more about General Biology at Blackburn College

#18

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Dominican U is a small school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 23 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,268 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend Dominican University.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Dominican U General Biology Report

#19

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Quincy, Illinois, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Quincy U is $17,497 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.

Read more about General Biology at Quincy U

#20

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Augustana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 99 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $23,874 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Augustana

#21

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Millikin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Millikin University is $21,331 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on General Biology at Millikin University

#22

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Elmhurst, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

The low 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 full report on General Biology at Elmhurst University

#23

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $24,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Northwestern University

#24

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Park is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 31 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend North Park is $19,170 for illinois bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on General Biology at North Park

#25

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Olivet Nazarene is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Olivet Nazarene University General Biology Report

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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