2026 Best Animal Science Schools in Illinois

Animal Science programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools to find the best for animal science students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Animal Science Schools in Illinois

Best Schools for Animal Science in Illinois

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the animal science degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Animal Science

1

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
Champaign, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

166 Animal Science Degrees Awarded

$42,723 Median Starting Salary

No school ranked higher than University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign this year for animal science. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign graduates 85% of students within six years. About 166 animal science degrees were awarded at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, animal science degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $42,723. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign graduates carry a median of $19,850 in student loans. Get the full animal science details for University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign

2

Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Carbondale, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

29 Animal Science Degrees Awarded

$30,706 Median Starting Salary

A rank of #2 makes Southern Illinois University Carbondale one of the top schools for animal science. This large public university is located in the town of Carbondale. Roughly 60% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 29 animal science students who graduated with this degree at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in the most recent data year. Graduates of the animal science program make about $30,706 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $21,936 to complete this degree. Get the full animal science details for Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 5 schools evaluated.

• 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.