Best colleges for biology in Illinois

    University of Chicago ranks first in Illinois for biology value (#75 nationally, value score 72): graduates earn $59,794 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $16,776 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 24 Illinois colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best biology colleges in Illinois

    University of Chicago ranks first in Illinois for biology value (#75 nationally, value score 72): graduates earn $59,794 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $16,776 a year. 24 Illinois colleges qualify. At the median one, biology graduates earn $59,806 and the average net price is $17,574 a year.

    Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 24 Illinois colleges qualify. At the median one, biology graduates earn $59,806 and the average net price is $17,574 a year.
    • The highest biology earnings in the state are at Northwestern University-Illinois ($71,181), ranked #2 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at University of Illinois at Springfield: $7,528 a year.
    Median earnings
    $59,806
    National: $58,001
    Median net price
    $17,574
    National: $18,049
    Median federal debt
    $21,125
    biology graduates
    Public colleges
    9 of 24
    in this list

    24 colleges

    The Illinois ranking

    Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    1. Rank in Illinois 1

      University of Chicago

      Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · #75 nationally

      72.0Value
      Earnings
      $59,794
      Net price
      $16,776
      Federal debt
      $12,000
      Graduation rate
      95%
    2. Rank in Illinois 2

      Northwestern University-Illinois

      Evanston, IL · Private nonprofit · #82 nationally

      71.4Value
      Earnings
      $71,181
      Net price
      $34,420
      Federal debt
      $16,100
      Graduation rate
      96%
    3. Rank in Illinois 3

      University of Illinois at Chicago

      Chicago, IL · Public · #89 nationally

      71.0Value
      Earnings
      $59,119
      Net price
      $9,540
      Federal debt
      $14,000
      Graduation rate
      61%
    4. Rank in Illinois 4

      University of Illinois at Springfield

      Springfield, IL · Public · #101 nationally

      69.6Value
      Earnings
      $59,817
      Net price
      $7,528
      Federal debt
      $15,776
      Graduation rate
      53%
    5. Rank in Illinois 5

      Illinois State University

      Normal, IL · Public · #114 nationally

      68.3Value
      Earnings
      $63,725
      Net price
      $17,829
      Federal debt
      $17,625
      Graduation rate
      67%
    6. Rank in Illinois 6

      Saint Xavier University

      Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · #170 nationally

      63.2Value
      Earnings
      $59,820
      Net price
      $10,171
      Federal debt
      $20,324
      Graduation rate
      55%
    7. Rank in Illinois 7

      Benedictine University-Illinois

      Lisle, IL · Private nonprofit · #176 nationally

      62.4Value
      Earnings
      $66,960
      Net price
      $18,910
      Federal debt
      $18,562
      Graduation rate
      43%
    8. Rank in Illinois 8

      Augustana College-Illinois

      Rock Island, IL · Private nonprofit · #179 nationally

      62.2Value
      Earnings
      $68,648
      Net price
      $21,153
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      73%
    9. Rank in Illinois 9

      Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville

      Edwardsville, IL · Public · #180 nationally

      62.2Value
      Earnings
      $60,059
      Net price
      $13,111
      Federal debt
      $19,953
      Graduation rate
      56%
    10. Rank in Illinois 10

      Northeastern Illinois University

      Chicago, IL · Public · #319 nationally

      52.5Value
      Earnings
      $53,567
      Net price
      $9,377
      Federal debt
      $13,650
      Graduation rate
      25%
    11. Rank in Illinois 11

      Illinois Wesleyan University

      Bloomington, IL · Private nonprofit · #333 nationally

      51.4Value
      Earnings
      $62,541
      Net price
      $27,863
      Federal debt
      $24,207
      Graduation rate
      73%
    12. Rank in Illinois 12

      Lewis University

      Romeoville, IL · Private nonprofit · #340 nationally

      51.1Value
      Earnings
      $59,075
      Net price
      $17,318
      Federal debt
      $21,750
      Graduation rate
      57%
    13. Rank in Illinois 13

      Roosevelt University

      Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · #352 nationally

      49.8Value
      Earnings
      $63,274
      Net price
      $21,512
      Federal debt
      $21,848
      Graduation rate
      34%
    14. Rank in Illinois 14

      Loyola University Chicago

      Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · #374 nationally

      47.8Value
      Earnings
      $62,821
      Net price
      $36,340
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      72%
    15. Rank in Illinois 15

      DePaul University-Illinois

      Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · #388 nationally

      46.8Value
      Earnings
      $61,216
      Net price
      $27,308
      Federal debt
      $24,500
      Graduation rate
      67%
    16. Rank in Illinois 16

      Elmhurst University

      Elmhurst, IL · Private nonprofit · #389 nationally

      46.8Value
      Earnings
      $60,161
      Net price
      $23,165
      Federal debt
      $24,250
      Graduation rate
      64%
    17. Rank in Illinois 17

      Aurora University

      Aurora, IL · Private nonprofit · #415 nationally

      44.4Value
      Earnings
      $52,159
      Net price
      $19,385
      Federal debt
      $15,000
      Graduation rate
      61%
    18. Rank in Illinois 18

      Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

      Carbondale, IL · Public · #434 nationally

      42.8Value
      Earnings
      $51,947
      Net price
      $12,554
      Federal debt
      $21,250
      Graduation rate
      59%
    19. Rank in Illinois 19

      Eastern Illinois University

      Charleston, IL · Public · #458 nationally

      41.0Value
      Earnings
      $53,725
      Net price
      $12,717
      Federal debt
      $22,646
      Graduation rate
      50%
    20. Rank in Illinois 20

      Western Illinois University

      Macomb, IL · Public · #470 nationally

      39.9Value
      Earnings
      $50,855
      Net price
      $10,018
      Federal debt
      $21,000
      Graduation rate
      49%
    21. Rank in Illinois 21

      North Park University

      Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · #494 nationally

      38.0Value
      Earnings
      $55,253
      Net price
      $15,949
      Federal debt
      $26,000
      Graduation rate
      52%
    22. Rank in Illinois 22

      Northern Illinois University

      Dekalb, IL · Public · #496 nationally

      37.9Value
      Earnings
      $52,086
      Net price
      $14,505
      Federal debt
      $20,500
      Graduation rate
      48%
    23. Rank in Illinois 23

      Illinois College

      Jacksonville, IL · Private nonprofit · #580 nationally

      30.1Value
      Earnings
      $51,626
      Net price
      $18,763
      Federal debt
      $26,671
      Graduation rate
      61%
    24. Rank in Illinois 24

      Lake Forest College

      Lake Forest, IL · Private nonprofit · #640 nationally

      23.7Value
      Earnings
      $48,287
      Net price
      $24,987
      Federal debt
      $25,500
      Graduation rate
      73%

    Method: the same value score as the national biology ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.

    Questions about biology colleges in Illinois

    What are the best colleges for biology in Illinois?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Illinois colleges for biology are University of Chicago (value score 72), Northwestern University-Illinois (value score 71.4) and University of Illinois at Chicago (value score 71). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which Illinois college has the highest earnings for biology graduates?

    Northwestern University-Illinois: its biology graduates have median earnings of $71,181 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable biology college in Illinois on this list?

    University of Illinois at Springfield has the lowest average net price of the ranked Illinois colleges, $7,528 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many Illinois colleges are ranked for biology?

    24 Illinois colleges have a biology bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within Illinois.