2023 Best Value General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best General Biology School for You
With 107,165 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, general biology is the #5 most popular major in the United States.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 138 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best value programs for biology students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 15% Best General Biology Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Mott Community College the best value school in the Great Lakes Region for general biology students. Located in the small city of Flint, MCC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MCC are $7,091 a year. Biology majors at MCC take out an average of $14,096 in student loans while working on their egree.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Ivy Tech Community College is a great value for general biology students. Ivy Tech Community College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Indianapolis.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Ivy Tech Community College are $8,927 a year.
Ivy Tech Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public college with a fairly large student population.
SIUE undergraduate students pay an average of $11,496 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, biology graduates from SIUE carry an average student debtload of $21,504. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $235, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The excellent programs at University of Wisconsin - River Falls helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best general biology schools in the Great Lakes Region . UW - River Falls is a medium-sized public school located in the town of River Falls.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - River Falls are $15,661 per year. On average, biology graduates from UW - River Falls take out $22,833 in student loans while working on their degree.
UW - River Falls excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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Out of the 138 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at NIU are $14,738 a year. Biology majors at NIU take out an average of $24,968 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $160.
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With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general biology students. Located in the city of La Crosse, UW - La Crosse is a public college with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - La Crosse are $18,014 per year. Biology majors at UW - La Crosse take out an average of $25,250 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $157.
In addition to its great value ranking, UW - La Crosse is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general biology programs. Located in the city of Green Bay, UW - Green Bay is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
UW - Green Bay undergraduate students pay an average of $16,091 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, biology majors at UW - Green Bay accumulate an average of around $23,127 in student debt.
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Youngstown State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Youngstown State University is a large public school located in the city of Youngstown.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Youngstown State University are $9,732 per year. Biology majors at Youngstown State University take out an average of $20,786 in student loans while working on their egree.
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With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general biology students. Located in the distant town of Whitewater, UW - Whitewater is a public school with a fairly large student population.
UW - Whitewater undergraduate students pay an average of $16,602 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, biology graduates from UW - Whitewater carry an average student debtload of $27,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $256, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
UW - Whitewater excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the small city of Oshkosh, UW Oshkosh is a public college with a fairly large student population.
UW Oshkosh undergraduate students pay an average of $15,306 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that biology majors at UW Oshkosh take out is $26,000.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UW Oshkosh 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 this analysis.
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University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general biology programs. UW - Platteville is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Platteville.
UW - Platteville undergraduate students pay an average of $16,483 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that biology majors at UW - Platteville take out is $25,000.
UW - Platteville also claimed a spot on our Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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Western Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. WIU is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Macomb.
WIU undergraduate students pay an average of $13,297 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that biology majors at WIU take out is $28,875. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $386.
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Purdue University Northwest came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Purdue Northwest is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Hammond.
Purdue Northwest undergraduate students pay an average of $14,349 in tuition and fees each year. Biology majors at Purdue Northwest take out an average of $25,638 in student loans while working on their egree.
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University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general biology students. It came in at #14 on the list. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school located in the city of Eau Claire.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - Eau Claire are $17,149 a year. After completing their degree, biology graduates from UW - Eau Claire carry an average student debtload of $21,500.
UW - Eau Claire excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general biology students. UW - Parkside is a small public school located in the midsize suburb of Kenosha.
UW - Parkside undergraduate students pay an average of $15,714 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, biology graduates from UW - Parkside carry an average student debtload of $30,005.
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University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the distant town of Stevens Point, UW - Stevens Point is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
UW - Stevens Point undergraduate students pay an average of $17,035 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, biology graduates from UW - Stevens Point carry an average student debtload of $26,250. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $221, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Grand Valley State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. GVSU is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Allendale.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at GVSU are $19,628 a year. While working on their degree, biology majors at GVSU accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $266, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Wisconsin - Superior came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Superior is a small public school located in the midsize suburb of Superior.
UW - Superior undergraduate students pay an average of $15,728 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, biology graduates from UW - Superior carry an average student debtload of $27,197.
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University of Akron Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Akron.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Akron Main Campus are $11,880 per year. After completing their degree, biology graduates from University of Akron Main Campus carry an average student debtload of $23,771. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $204.
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Ferris State University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general biology programs. Located in the distant town of Big Rapids, Ferris is a public school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Ferris are $13,188 a year. Biology majors at Ferris take out an average of $23,313 in student loans while working on their egree.
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These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value General Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Chicago State University | Chicago, IL |
| 22 | Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti, MI |
| 22 | Eastern Illinois University | Charleston, IL |
| 24 | Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 25 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
| 26 | Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Carbondale, IL |
| 27 | University of Illinois at Springfield | Springfield, IL |
Best General Biology Colleges by State
Explore the best general biology colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 2,795 |
| Ohio | 3,097 |
| Illinois | 2,864 |
| Indiana | 1,765 |
| Wisconsin | 1,970 |
More General Biology Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
General Biology Related Majors for Biology
General Biology is one of 14 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Biology
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology | 14,535 |
| Neurobiology & Neurosciences | 11,615 |
| Physiology & Pathology Sciences | 8,813 |
| Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology | 7,247 |
| Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences | 6,206 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 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 the rest 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.
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