2023 Best Value General Biology Schools in the Plains States 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. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 81 schools in the Plains States 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 Metropolitan State University the best value school in the Plains States Region for general biology students. Metro State is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Saint Paul.
Metro State undergraduate students pay an average of $9,394 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, biology graduates from Metro State carry an average student debtload of $23,368.
Full General Biology at Metropolitan State University Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bellevue University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the suburb of Bellevue, Bellevue University is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
Bellevue University undergraduate students pay an average of $8,310 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that biology majors at Bellevue University take out is $26,677.
Bellevue University also claimed a spot on our Best General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the medium-sized city of Springfield, Drury University - CCPS is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Drury University - CCPS are $7,924 per year. While working on their degree, biology majors at Drury University - CCPS accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Bemidji State University is a great value for general biology students. Bemidji State University is a small public school located in the remote town of Bemidji.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Bemidji State University are $9,806 per year. On average, biology graduates from Bemidji State University take out $24,531 in student loans while working on their degree.
Bemidji State University excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region list.
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Out of the 81 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Winona State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Winona State is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Winona.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Winona State are $16,684 per year. The average amount in student loans that biology majors at Winona State take out is $21,734.
Winona State also claimed a spot on our Best General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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South Dakota State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. South Dakota State is a fairly large public school located in the remote town of Brookings.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at South Dakota State are $12,809 per year. On average, biology graduates from South Dakota State take out $26,646 in student loans while working on their degree.
South Dakota State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region list.
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Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general biology programs. Minnesota State Mankato is a large public school located in the small city of Mankato.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Minnesota State Mankato are $18,200 per year. After completing their degree, biology graduates from Minnesota State Mankato carry an average student debtload of $25,384.
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North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general biology programs. Located in the midsize city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at North Dakota State University are $14,876 a year. While working on their degree, biology majors at North Dakota State University accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.
In addition to its great value ranking, North Dakota State University is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region list.
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Truman State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Truman State is a small public school located in the town of Kirksville.
Truman State undergraduate students pay an average of $16,410 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, biology majors at Truman State accumulate an average of around $19,617 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #10, University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general biology students. Located in the town of Morris, UMN Morris is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UMN Morris are $15,940 a year. The average amount in student loans that biology majors at UMN Morris take out is $23,453.
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With a ranking of #11, Fort Hays State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general biology students. FHSU is a fairly large public school located in the remote town of Hays.
FHSU undergraduate students pay an average of $15,870 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, biology graduates from FHSU carry an average student debtload of $21,500.
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With a ranking of #12, University of South Dakota did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general biology students. Located in the town of Vermillion, USD is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at USD are $12,942 per year. While working on their degree, biology majors at USD accumulate an average of around $23,250 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $129.
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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 Plains States Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | University of Nebraska at Kearney | Kearney, NE |
| 14 | University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, IA |
| 15 | Columbia College | Columbia, MO |
| 16 | University of North Dakota | Grand Forks, ND |
Best General Biology Colleges by State
Explore the best general biology colleges for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Missouri | 2,000 |
| Minnesota | 1,745 |
| Kansas | 693 |
| Iowa | 805 |
| Nebraska | 757 |
| North Dakota | 289 |
| South Dakota | 347 |
More General Biology Rankings in the Plains States 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.