Best Online Biology Programs in Lake in the Hills, IL (2026)

Lake in the Hills, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs, with tuition ranging from $31,360 to $70,655 per year for indexed programs. Lake in the Hills has a population of about 28,853. Median household income is $113,491 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning biology-related role is Medical Scientist at a median $83,240 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Biology Schools to Lake in the Hills

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Lake in the Hills, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lake in the Hills city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Lake in the Hills. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Judson University

Elgin, IL 9.5 miles from Lake in the Hills BOC Score 52.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 48%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,313
Avg net price $18,558/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,360
Out‑of‑state$31,360
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL 25.7 miles from Lake in the Hills BOC Score 75.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,756
Avg net price $26,975/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL 26.8 miles from Lake in the Hills BOC Score 59.9
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 57%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,825
Avg net price $28,673/yr
Tuition
In‑state$56,402
Out‑of‑state$56,402
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 28.6 miles from Lake in the Hills BOC Score 65.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,808
Avg net price $13,391/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

National University of Health Sciences

Lombard, IL 28.6 miles from Lake in the Hills BOC Score 76.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,723
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL 29.1 miles from Lake in the Hills BOC Score 64.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,462
Avg net price $24,185/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Aurora University

Aurora, IL 30.2 miles from Lake in the Hills BOC Score 66.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,709
Avg net price $18,838/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Midwestern University-Downers Grove

Downers Grove, IL 30.4 miles from Lake in the Hills
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois biology page.


Biology Wages Near Lake in the Hills

Lake in the Hills is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical Scientist$83,240Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$80,347
Biological Technician$57,700Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$55,695
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$79,780Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$77,008
Soil and Plant Scientist$80,360Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$77,568

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Lake in the Hills at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population28,853Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$113,491Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+36.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lake in the Hills-Area Cities With Biology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited biology schools are near Lake in the Hills, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Lake in the Hills. The closest is Judson University in Elgin, IL (9.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is National University of Health Sciences (28.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying biology roles near Lake in the Hills?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Lake in the Hills are: Medical Scientist ($83,240), Soil and Plant Scientist ($80,360), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($79,780). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Algonquin instead of Lake in the Hills?

Algonquin, IL is 2.6 miles from Lake in the Hills and has its own set of local biology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Lake in the Hills an affordable place to study biology?

Lake in the Hills’s median household income of $113,491 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lake in the Hills while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Biology Programs

Other Programs Available in Lake in the Hills

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Lake in the Hills:

Data verified: July 30, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.