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2026 Best Value Biotechnology Schools in Illinois

2 Colleges in the United States
$19,169 Avg Student Debt
$79,719 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value Biotechnology Badge [Biotechnology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/biotechnology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for biotechnology students.

What’s on this page:

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2026 Best Value Biotechnology Schools in Illinois

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

Best Value Biotechnology Schools

1

For return on investment in biotechnology, no school beat University Of Illinois At Chicago this year. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,949, while out-of-state students pay about $32,009. Students borrow a median of $20,115 to complete the biotechnology program here. Soon after graduation, biotechnology degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Chicago generally make around $61,829. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Illinois At Chicago admits about 77% of applicants.

2

A rank of #2 makes University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign one of the best values for biotechnology. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,778 to complete the biotechnology program here. Soon after graduation, biotechnology degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $57,461. That is a strong return on a $20,778 median debt. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.

3

Students looking for strong value in biotechnology will find it at Northwestern University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,322. Typical student debt for biotechnology graduates is $16,616. Soon after graduation, biotechnology degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $75,972. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 8%.

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Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, 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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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