2023 Best Value General Biology Schools in Illinois
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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.
Top 10 Best General Biology Schools
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 midsize 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.
Illinois State also claimed a spot on our Best General Biology Schools in Illinois list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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The excellent programs at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best general biology schools in Illinois. SIUE is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SIUE are $11,496 a 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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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value General Biology Schools in Illinois list. UIS is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIS are $12,053 per year. While working on their degree, biology majors at UIS accumulate an average of around $22,541 in student debt.
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The excellent programs at Eastern Illinois University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best general biology schools in Illinois. Located in the distant town of Charleston, EIU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
EIU undergraduate students pay an average of $12,297 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Biology majors at EIU take out an average of $25,245 in student loans while working on their egree.
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The excellent programs at Northern Illinois University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best general biology schools in Illinois. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NIU are $14,738 per 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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Northeastern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Biology Schools in Illinois ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Chicago.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Northeastern Illinois University are $12,064 a year. While working on their degree, biology majors at Northeastern Illinois University accumulate an average of around $19,228 in student debt.
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Western Illinois University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general biology programs. Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public school with a medium-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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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 city of Chicago, CSU is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSU are $11,204 a year. On average, biology graduates from CSU take out $43,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Governors State University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general biology programs. 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.
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Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Biology Schools in Illinois list. SIUC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Carbondale.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SIUC are $15,240 per 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.
Request InformationBest 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 |
More General Biology Rankings in Illinois
Majors Related to Biology
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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