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2026 Best Value Animal Science Schools in Illinois

[Animal Science](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/animal-science/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong animal science education at a price that pays off.

College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value animal science schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Animal Science Schools in Illinois

2026 Best Value Animal Science Schools in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in animal science, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Animal Science Schools

1

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
Champaign, IL

$18,267 In-State Tuition & Fees

$19,850 Avg Student Debt

$81,054 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, our #1 best value for animal science in Illinois. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. Students from in state pay about $18,267 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $40,096. Typical student debt for animal science graduates is $19,850. Soon after graduation, animal science degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $42,723. Set against $19,850 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 42%.

2

Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Carbondale, IL

$13,334 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,936 Avg Student Debt

$53,390 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Southern Illinois University Carbondale one of the best values for animal science. Set in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,334. Animal Science graduates carry a median of $21,936 in student loans. Early-career animal science graduates make about $30,706. That is a strong return on a $21,936 median debt. The acceptance rate is 87%.

View All Animal Science Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked 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 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.