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Best Value General Biology Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Value General Biology Schools in Illinois

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

37 Colleges
$23,643 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$27,289 Avg Salary

Finding the Best General Biology School for You

General Biology is one of the most popular subjects to study in Illinois. With 2,864 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 10th out of all the majors we track in the state.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value General Biology Schools in Illinois ranking. This report analyzed 37 schools in Illinois 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. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value General Biology Schools in Illinois

Check out the biology programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best General Biology Schools

$13,968 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Illinois State University the best value school in Illinois for general biology students. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Normal.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Illinois State are $13,968 per year. Biology majors at Illinois State take out an average of $24,975 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $404.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Illinois State also is in the top 10% of our Best General Biology Schools in Illinois ranking.

Full General Biology at Illinois State University Report

$11,496 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 37 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the # 2 spot on the list. SIUE is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SIUE are $11,496 per year. While working on their degree, biology majors at SIUE accumulate an average of around $21,504 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $235, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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$12,053 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value General Biology Schools in Illinois list. UIS is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UIS are $12,053 a year. While working on their degree, biology majors at UIS accumulate an average of around $22,541 in student debt.

Full General Biology at University of Illinois at Springfield Report

#4

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL
$12,297 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 37 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the town of Charleston, EIU is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at EIU are $12,297 a year. Biology majors at EIU take out an average of $25,245 in student loans while working on their egree.

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$14,738 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Biology Schools in Illinois list. NIU is a large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at NIU are $14,738 a year. On average, biology graduates from NIU take out $24,968 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $160.

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$12,064 Average Tuition & Fees

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general biology programs. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Chicago.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northeastern Illinois University are $12,064 per year. While working on their degree, biology majors at Northeastern Illinois University accumulate an average of around $19,228 in student debt.

Read full report on General Biology at Northeastern Illinois University

$13,297 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, Western Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general biology students. Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

WIU undergraduate students pay an average of $13,297 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, biology graduates from WIU carry an average student debtload of $28,875. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $386, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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$11,204 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #8, Chicago State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general biology students. Located in the large city of Chicago, CSU is a public college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSU are $11,204 per year. On average, biology graduates from CSU take out $43,500 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full General Biology at Chicago State University Report

#9

Governors State University

University Park, IL
$10,108 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, Governors State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general biology students. Located in the rural area of University Park, GSU is a public school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at GSU are $10,108 a year.

Read full report on General Biology at Governors State University

$15,240 Average Tuition & Fees

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general biology programs. SIUC is a large public school located in the city of Carbondale.

SIUC undergraduate students pay an average of $15,240 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, biology graduates from SIUC take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $140.

Read full report on General Biology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Best Value General Biology Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Value General Biology Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 2,795
Ohio 3,097
Indiana 1,765
Wisconsin 1,970

One of 14 majors within the area of study, general biology has other similar majors worth exploring.

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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