Best Online Biology Programs in Mount Prospect, IL (2026)

Mount Prospect, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs. Mount Prospect has a population of about 55,648. Median household income is $103,911 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.6% 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 Mount Prospect

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Mount Prospect, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Mount Prospect 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 Mount Prospect. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL 11.8 miles from Mount Prospect 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

#2

Dominican University

River Forest, IL 12.7 miles from Mount Prospect BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,327
Avg net price $11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL 12.7 miles from Mount Prospect BOC Score 35.5
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,234
Avg net price $14,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL 13.2 miles from Mount Prospect BOC Score 49.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,089
Avg net price $18,436/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

North Park University

Chicago, IL 13.4 miles from Mount Prospect BOC Score 61.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,572
Avg net price $16,948/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 13.5 miles from Mount Prospect BOC Score 81.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,363
Avg net price $29,167/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL 13.7 miles from Mount Prospect 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

#8

National University of Health Sciences

Lombard, IL 14.7 miles from Mount Prospect 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

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


Biology Wages Near Mount Prospect

Mount Prospect 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.


Mount Prospect at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population55,648Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$103,911Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+48.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Mount Prospect-Area Cities With Biology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited biology schools are near Mount Prospect, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Mount Prospect. The closest is Elmhurst University in Elmhurst, IL (11.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is North Park University (13.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying biology roles near Mount Prospect?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Mount Prospect 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 Des Plaines instead of Mount Prospect?

Des Plaines, IL is 2.8 miles from Mount Prospect 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 Mount Prospect an affordable place to study biology?

Mount Prospect’s median household income of $103,911 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Mount Prospect 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 Mount Prospect

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Mount Prospect:

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.