2026 Best Value Biophysics Schools in Illinois
[Biophysics](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/biochemistry-biophysics-molecular-biology/biophysics/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong biophysics education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value biophysics schools.
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2026 Best Value Biophysics Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in biophysics, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Biophysics Schools
Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, our #1 best value for biophysics in Illinois. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $18,267 in tuition and fees, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,000 to complete the biophysics program here. Biophysics graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $57,461 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 42%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Chicago earned it the #2 place for biophysics. University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $69,324. Typical student debt for biophysics graduates is $15,854. Early-career biophysics graduates make about $81,002. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in biophysics will find it at Loyola University Chicago, which ranked #3. Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $53,710. Typical student debt for biophysics graduates is $25,000. Biophysics graduates of Loyola University Chicago earn a median of $38,487 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 4 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.
