Academic Index Last updated: June 23, 2026

61 Best Universities in Illinois for Biology

If you are looking to study Biology in Illinois, our index highlights the top 61 domain-leading institutions. Based on 709.1K scholarly articles and 32.19M peer-reviewed citations, we reveal the best research labs driving innovation in Biology. This targeted approach bypasses general university reputation, directly revealing the strongest programs.

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1

Evanston

Northwestern University

For Biology

#23 in United States #25 in North America

8% Acceptance

9,399 Enrollment

1540 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

2

Champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign

For Biology

#25 in United States #27 in North America

42% Acceptance

37,140 Enrollment

1415 Avg SAT

1867 Founded

3

Chicago

University of Chicago

For Biology

#26 in United States #28 in North America

4% Acceptance

7,598 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

4

Chicago

University of Illinois at Chicago

For Biology

#51 in United States #55 in North America

77% Acceptance

22,495 Enrollment

1240 Avg SAT

1858 Founded

5

Chicago

Loyola University Chicago

For Biology

#151 in United States #173 in North America

82% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1265 Avg SAT

1870 Founded

6

Jacksonville, IL

Illinois College

For Biology

#182 in United States #206 in North America

78% Acceptance

2,256 Enrollment

1032 Avg SAT

1829 Founded

7

Carbondale

Southern Illinois University – Carbondale

For Biology

#198 in United States #223 in North America

87% Acceptance

2,708 Enrollment

1030 Avg SAT

1869 Founded

8

DeKalb

Northern Illinois University

For Biology

#224 in United States #252 in North America

70% Acceptance

16,744 Enrollment

1125 Avg SAT

1895 Founded

9

Chicago

Illinois Institute of Technology

For Biology

#232 in United States #261 in North America

55% Acceptance

3,135 Enrollment

1310 Avg SAT

1890 Founded

10

North Chicago

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

For Biology

#234 in United States #263 in North America

33% Acceptance

1,677 Enrollment

1032 Avg SAT

1912 Founded

11

Chicago

Rush University

For Biology

#237 in United States #266 in North America

33% Acceptance

2,109 Enrollment

1135 Avg SAT

1972 Founded

12

Evanston

NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

For Biology

#245 in United States #274 in North America

73% Acceptance

1,677 Enrollment

1135 Avg SAT

13

Normal, IL

Illinois State University

For Biology

#248 in United States #278 in North America

88% Acceptance

6,332 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1857 Founded

14

Chicago

DePaul University

For Biology

#296 in United States #333 in North America

76% Acceptance

5,734 Enrollment

1235 Avg SAT

1898 Founded

15

Edwardsville

Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville

For Biology

#386 in United States #435 in North America

97% Acceptance

16,744 Enrollment

1070 Avg SAT

1957 Founded

16

Charleston, IL

Eastern Illinois University

For Biology

#420 in United States #470 in North America

65% Acceptance

3,231 Enrollment

985 Avg SAT

1895 Founded

17

Macomb

Western Illinois University

For Biology

#450 in United States #500 in North America

71% Acceptance

7,895 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1899 Founded

18

Naperville

North Central College

For Biology

#452 in United States #502 in North America

77% Acceptance

2,054 Enrollment

1183 Avg SAT

1861 Founded

19

Peoria, IL

Bradley University

For Biology

#486 in United States #537 in North America

77% Acceptance

15,414 Enrollment

1070 Avg SAT

1897 Founded

20

Chicago

Roosevelt University

For Biology

#523 in United States #575 in North America

97% Acceptance

4,397 Enrollment

1035 Avg SAT

1945 Founded

21

Bloomington, IL

Illinois Wesleyan University

For Biology

#535 in United States #587 in North America

39% Acceptance

1,582 Enrollment

1230 Avg SAT

1850 Founded

22

Chicago

Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago

For Biology

#618 in United States #672 in North America

10% Acceptance

6,353 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

23

Rockford

Saint Anthony College of Nursing

For Biology

#623 in United States #678 in North America

76% Acceptance

10,813 Enrollment

1195 Avg SAT

$30,212 Net Price

24

Greenville, IL

Greenville University

For Biology

#629 in United States #685 in North America

97% Acceptance

5,086 Enrollment

1001 Avg SAT

1892 Founded

25

Springfield, IL

University of Illinois at Springfield

For Biology

#643 in United States #699 in North America

86% Acceptance

6,332 Enrollment

1070 Avg SAT

1969 Founded

26

Chicago

Chicago State University

For Biology

#658 in United States #716 in North America

43% Acceptance

15,414 Enrollment

1275 Avg SAT

1867 Founded

27

Wheaton

Wheaton College – Illinois

For Biology

#662 in United States #720 in North America

87% Acceptance

2,150 Enrollment

1365 Avg SAT

1860 Founded

28

Chicago

Northeastern Illinois University

For Biology

#695 in United States #756 in North America

75% Acceptance

4,397 Enrollment

990 Avg SAT

1949 Founded

29

Chicago

Saint Xavier University

For Biology

#790 in United States #852 in North America

84% Acceptance

15,414 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1846 Founded

30

Lake Forest

Lake Forest College

For Biology

#792 in United States #854 in North America

57% Acceptance

5,734 Enrollment

1292 Avg SAT

1857 Founded

31

Galesburg

For Biology

#820 in United States #882 in North America

71% Acceptance

6,332 Enrollment

1310 Avg SAT

1837 Founded

32

Rockford

Rockford University

For Biology

#828 in United States #890 in North America

93% Acceptance

983 Enrollment

960 Avg SAT

1847 Founded

33

Carlinville

Blackburn College

For Biology

#844 in United States #906 in North America

63% Acceptance

5,086 Enrollment

1001 Avg SAT

1837 Founded

34

Chicago

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

For Biology

#863 in United States #926 in North America

77% Acceptance

15,414 Enrollment

1508 Avg SAT

1866 Founded

35

Lombard

National University of Health Sciences

For Biology

#870 in United States #934 in North America

67% Acceptance

564 Enrollment

1906 Founded

36

University Park, IL

Governors State University

For Biology

#891 in United States #958 in North America

48% Acceptance

5,734 Enrollment

1035 Avg SAT

1969 Founded

37

Rock Island

Augustana College

For Biology

#897 in United States #964 in North America

63% Acceptance

2,522 Enrollment

1150 Avg SAT

1860 Founded

38

Chicago

Illinois College of Optometry

For Biology

#902 in United States #969 in North America

70% Acceptance

530 Enrollment

1080 Avg SAT

1872 Founded

39

Elmhurst

Elmhurst College

For Biology

#915 in United States #982 in North America

74% Acceptance

5,734 Enrollment

1125 Avg SAT

1871 Founded

40

Lisle

Benedictine University

For Biology

#919 in United States #987 in North America

95% Acceptance

2,238 Enrollment

1080 Avg SAT

1887 Founded

41

Romeoville

Lewis University

For Biology

#977 in United States #1046 in North America

71% Acceptance

16,744 Enrollment

1085 Avg SAT

1932 Founded

42

Joliet

University of St Francis

For Biology

#999 in United States #1068 in North America

65% Acceptance

1,343 Enrollment

1125 Avg SAT

1920 Founded

43

River Forest

Dominican University

For Biology

#1035 in United States #1104 in North America

90% Acceptance

5,734 Enrollment

990 Avg SAT

1901 Founded

44

Chicago

Saint Augustine College

For Biology

#1051 in United States #1121 in North America

100% Acceptance

810 Enrollment

995 Avg SAT

1980 Founded

45

Decatur, IL

Millikin University

For Biology

#1091 in United States #1161 in North America

67% Acceptance

6,332 Enrollment

995 Avg SAT

1901 Founded

46

Monmouth, IL

Monmouth College

For Biology

#1098 in United States #1168 in North America

91% Acceptance

713 Enrollment

1105 Avg SAT

1853 Founded

47

Aurora, IL

Aurora University

For Biology

#1149 in United States #1220 in North America

81% Acceptance

4,397 Enrollment

1025 Avg SAT

1893 Founded

48

Chicago

John Marshall Law School

For Biology

#1156 in United States #1228 in North America

52% Acceptance

420 Enrollment

1485 Avg SAT

1899 Founded

49

Chicago

National Louis University

For Biology

#1161 in United States #1233 in North America

95% Acceptance

14,263 Enrollment

1085 Avg SAT

1886 Founded

50

Chicago

Erikson Institute

For Biology

#1207 in United States #1280 in North America

80% Acceptance

1,631 Enrollment

1025 Avg SAT

51

Chicago

Bexley Hall Seabury Western Theological Seminary Federation, Inc.

For Biology

#1219 in United States #1292 in North America

74% Acceptance

995 Avg SAT

52

Quincy, IL

Quincy University

For Biology

#1269 in United States #1343 in North America

51% Acceptance

2,856 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1860 Founded

53

Chicago

Kendall College

For Biology

#1277 in United States #1351 in North America

90% Acceptance

442 Enrollment

1040 Avg SAT

1934 Founded

54

Eureka, IL

For Biology

#1290 in United States #1365 in North America

85% Acceptance

527 Enrollment

995 Avg SAT

1855 Founded

55

Chicago

Columbia College Chicago

For Biology

#1293 in United States #1368 in North America

89% Acceptance

5,734 Enrollment

1228 Avg SAT

1890 Founded

56

Chicago

Adler University

For Biology

#1313 in United States #1389 in North America

92% Acceptance

121 Enrollment

1030 Avg SAT

1952 Founded

57

Chicago

Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

For Biology

#1324 in United States #1401 in North America

71% Acceptance

210 Enrollment

1270 Avg SAT

58

Chicago

DeVry University – Illinois

For Biology

#1342 in United States #1420 in North America

98% Acceptance

6,045 Enrollment

865 Avg SAT

1931 Founded

59

Chicago

North Park University

For Biology

#1377 in United States #1455 in North America

69% Acceptance

200 Enrollment

1025 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

60

River Forest

Concordia University – Chicago

For Biology

#1492 in United States #1575 in North America

93% Acceptance

5,734 Enrollment

1140 Avg SAT

1864 Founded

61

Chicago

McCormick Theological Seminary

For Biology

#1510 in United States #1594 in North America

78% Acceptance

397 Enrollment