2026 Best Value Nutrition Science Schools in Illinois
[Nutrition Science](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/nutrition-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong nutrition science education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for nutrition science students.
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2026 Best Value Nutrition Science Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in nutrition science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Nutrition Science Schools
For return on investment in nutrition science, no school beat Dominican University this year. Dominican University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of River Forest. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,828. Typical student debt for nutrition science graduates is $26,236. Soon after graduation, nutrition science degree recipients from Dominican University generally make around $45,546. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign one of the best values for nutrition science. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,267, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Nutrition Science graduates carry a median of $20,778 in student loans. Nutrition Science graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $57,461 early in their careers. Set against $20,778 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Southern Illinois University Carbondale one of the best values for nutrition science. Set in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,334. Typical student debt for nutrition science graduates is $22,750. Nutrition Science graduates of Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn a median of $46,566 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 87%.
More Nutrition Science Rankings
View All Nutrition Science Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
