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Best Value General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region

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2023 Best Value General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

81 Colleges
$14,980 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$29,028 Avg Salary

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.

2023 Best Value General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region

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

Top 15% Best General Biology Schools

$9,394 Average Tuition & Fees

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 large city of Saint Paul.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Metro State are $9,394 per year. After completing their degree, biology graduates from Metro State carry an average student debtload of $23,368.

Read full report on General Biology at Metropolitan State University

#2

Bellevue University

Bellevue, NE

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Bellevue University is a great value for general biology students. Located in the suburb of Bellevue, Bellevue University is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Bellevue University are $8,310 a 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.

Full General Biology at Bellevue University Report

$7,924 Average Tuition & Fees

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 midsize city of Springfield, Drury University - CCPS is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Drury University - CCPS are $7,924 a year. While working on their degree, biology majors at Drury University - CCPS accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.

Read full report on General Biology at Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies

Out of the 81 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Bemidji State University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Bemidji State University is a small public school located in the remote town of Bemidji.

Bemidji State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,806 in tuition and fees each year. On average, biology graduates from Bemidji State University take out $24,531 in student loans while working on their degree.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Bemidji State University also did well on our Best General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Full General Biology at Bemidji State University Report

The excellent programs at Winona State University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best general biology schools in the Plains States Region . Winona State is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Winona.

Winona State undergraduate students pay an average of $16,684 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that biology majors at Winona State take out is $21,734.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Winona State also is in the top 15% of our Best General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.

Read full report on General Biology at Winona State University

South Dakota State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region list. South Dakota State is a large public school located in the remote town of Brookings.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at South Dakota State are $12,809 a 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.

Full General Biology at South Dakota State University Report

Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Minnesota State Mankato is a large public school located in the small city of Mankato.

Minnesota State Mankato undergraduate students pay an average of $18,200 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, biology graduates from Minnesota State Mankato carry an average student debtload of $25,384.

Full General Biology at Minnesota State University - Mankato Report

North Dakota State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the midsize city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public college 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.

North Dakota State University 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.

Full General Biology at North Dakota State University - Main Campus Report

#9

Truman State University

Kirksville, MO
$16,410 Average Tuition & Fees

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.

Read More…

$15,940 Average Tuition & Fees

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 school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMN Morris are $15,940 per year. The average amount in student loans that biology majors at UMN Morris take out is $23,453.

Read More…

$15,870 Average Tuition & Fees

Fort Hays State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Biology Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. FHSU is a fairly large public school located in the town of Hays.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at FHSU are $15,870 per year. After completing their degree, biology graduates from FHSU carry an average student debtload of $21,500.

Read More…

#12

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, SD
$12,942 Average Tuition & Fees

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 distant town of Vermillion, USD is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

USD undergraduate students pay an average of $12,942 in tuition and fees each 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.

Full General Biology at University of South Dakota Report

Honorable Mentions

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 schools 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

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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