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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2026 Best Value Nutrition Science Schools in Illinois

3 Colleges in the United States
$23,255 Avg Student Debt
$64,924 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value Nutrition Science Badge [Nutrition Science](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/nutrition-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong nutrition science education at a price that pays off.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for nutrition science students.

What’s on this page:

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2026 Best Value Nutrition Science Schools in Illinois

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

Best Value Nutrition Science Schools

1
Dominican University crest
Dominican University
River Forest, IL

For return on investment in nutrition science, no school beat Dominican University this year. Dominican University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of River Forest. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,828. Typical student debt for nutrition science graduates is $26,236. Soon after graduation, nutrition science degree recipients from Dominican University generally make around $45,546. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.

2

A rank of #2 makes University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign one of the best values for nutrition science. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,267, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Nutrition Science graduates carry a median of $20,778 in student loans. Nutrition Science graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $57,461 early in their careers. Set against $20,778 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.

3

A rank of #3 makes Southern Illinois University Carbondale one of the best values for nutrition 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. Typical student debt for nutrition science graduates is $22,750. Nutrition Science graduates of Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn a median of $46,566 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 87%.

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Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 3 ranked schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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