Top Biophysics Programs in the Midwest by Earnings (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Biophysics Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 34 Biophysics programs in the Midwest by the median earnings of Biophysics graduates four years after completing. University of Kansas ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $81,568 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $81,568 to $14,935, with a median of $62,188. The gap between the top two programs is $2,847.
Public institutions account for 25 of the 34 programs, or 74%. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the best on the page. University of Michigan-Flint posts the lowest average net price, at $7,007.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Kansas · Lawrence, KS | $81,568 | $18,059 | $12,544 | 93.5% |
| University of Kansas ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $81,568 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | Indiana University-Bloomington · Bloomington, IN | $78,721 | $16,264 | $6,324 | 78.2% |
| With an admission rate of 78%, Indiana University-Bloomington posts median earnings of $78,721 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $72,988 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison reports an average net price of $4,200 for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $72,988 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $67,925 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $19,500 in federal loans at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, which ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 5 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $67,783 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities reports median earnings of $67,783 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 79 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 6 | Loyola University Chicago · Chicago, IL | $67,681 | $36,079 | $28,992 | 81.6% |
| A private nonprofit university in Chicago, Loyola University Chicago reports an average net price of $36,079 and median earnings of $67,681 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $67,639 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
| Purdue University-Main Campus admits 50% of applicants and reports median earnings of $67,639 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Drake University · Des Moines, IA | $67,547 | $29,127 | $25,824 | 63.9% |
| Drake University ranks 8th on this list, with a median federal debt of $23,000 across all of the school's borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 9 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $67,381 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus reports median earnings of $67,381 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $4,885 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 10 | University of Missouri-St Louis · Saint Louis, MO | $66,483 | $15,071 | $13,031 | 62.7% |
| With a cohort of 21 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of Missouri-St Louis reports median earnings of $66,483 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Kansas State University · Manhattan, KS | $65,122 | $19,406 | $13,178 | 81.7% |
| Kansas State University reports an average net price of $19,406 and median earnings of $65,122 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA | $65,072 | $22,531 | $15,316 | 83.6% |
| University of Iowa ranks 184th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and reports median earnings of $65,072 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE | $64,521 | $17,747 | $12,751 | 87.5% |
| With 75 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of Nebraska-Lincoln reports median earnings of $64,521 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $17,747. | |||||
| 14 | Cornell College · Mount Vernon, IA | $64,510 | $23,634 | $16,409 | 79.9% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Mount Vernon, Cornell College ranks 14th on this list and shows an admission rate of 80%. | |||||
| 15 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI | $64,492 | $15,014 | $10,329 | 90.7% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $23,000 in federal loans at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which ranks 214th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 16 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $63,419 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
| Michigan State University posts median earnings of $63,419 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $7,068 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 17 | Iowa State University · Ames, IA | $63,026 | $18,589 | $10,582 | 88.7% |
| With 37 graduates in the earnings cohort, Iowa State University ranks 17th on this list and reports median earnings of $63,026 four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point · Stevens Point, WI | $61,349 | $14,559 | $8,833 | 91.8% |
| University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point admits 92% of applicants and reports an average net price of $14,559. | |||||
| 19 | University of Minnesota-Duluth · Duluth, MN | $61,010 | $18,743 | $7,256 | 88.8% |
| Median federal debt of $22,024 across all of University of Minnesota-Duluth's borrowers who completed coincides with median earnings of $61,010 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Grand Valley State University · Allendale, MI | $59,476 | $16,317 | $12,272 | 83.0% |
| Grand Valley State University ranks 210th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $12,272 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 21 | University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL | $58,268 | $10,974 | $7,529 | 77.4% |
| University of Illinois Chicago shows median earnings of $58,268 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing, with 66 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 22 | University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO | $56,003 | $20,268 | $13,841 | 78.5% |
| An admission rate of 78% and an average net price of $20,268 accompany University of Missouri-Columbia's median earnings of $56,003 for Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Grinnell College · Grinnell, IA | $53,105 | $17,648 | $9,970 | 14.5% |
| Grinnell College, a private nonprofit college in Grinnell, reports median earnings of $53,105 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 15%. | |||||
| 24 | Miami University-Oxford · Oxford, OH | $42,682 | $28,384 | $16,015 | 75.4% |
| Miami University-Oxford ranks 24th on this list, with median earnings of $42,682 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $16,015 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 25 | Minnesota State University-Mankato · Mankato, MN | $33,993 | $19,139 | $12,339 | 88.4% |
| Minnesota State University-Mankato reports median earnings of $33,993 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing, with 11 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 26 | University of St Thomas · Saint Paul, MN | $33,993 | $29,155 | $28,131 | 85.4% |
| A private nonprofit university in Saint Paul, University of St Thomas ranks 26th on this list and carries an average net price of $29,155. | |||||
| 27 | Eastern Michigan University · Ypsilanti, MI | $31,133 | $15,407 | $13,250 | 79.6% |
| Eastern Michigan University admits 80% of applicants and shows median earnings of $31,133 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 28 | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse · La Crosse, WI | $31,133 | $16,210 | $8,224 | 75.5% |
| University of Wisconsin-La Crosse ranks 514th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, alongside an average net price of $8,224 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 29 | Calvin University · Grand Rapids, MI | $29,685 | $22,992 | $19,281 | 70.9% |
| Calvin University reports median earnings of $29,685 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 71%. | |||||
| 30 | Lawrence University · Appleton, WI | $28,960 | $23,401 | $10,419 | 63.9% |
| Lawrence University ranks 1332nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts an average net price of $23,401. | |||||
| 31 | University of Michigan-Flint · Flint, MI | $26,896 | $7,007 | $1,517 | 70.5% |
| University of Michigan-Flint carries the lowest average net price on the page at $7,007, and its Biophysics graduates earn a median of $26,896 four years after completing. | |||||
| 32 | Case Western Reserve University · Cleveland, OH | $25,053 | $41,190 | $19,025 | 36.5% |
| Case Western Reserve University admits 37% of applicants and reports median earnings of $25,053 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 33 | Washington University in St Louis · St. Louis, MO | $21,508 | $21,786 | $1,716 | 12.1% |
| Washington University in St Louis ranks 97th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with an average net price of $1,716 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 34 | University of Michigan-Dearborn · Dearborn, MI | $14,935 | $9,492 | $7,211 | 55.6% |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn ranks 88th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $14,935 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Biophysics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figure reflects federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled. For 11 of the 34 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between University of Kansas and Indiana University-Bloomington is $2,847, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $66,633.
Related rankings
- Best Biophysics Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the Midwest
- Best Biophysics Programs in the Northeast
- Best Biophysics Programs in the South
- Best Biophysics Programs in the West
- Biological Sciences Colleges in the Midwest for Social Mobility
- Biological Sciences Colleges in the Midwest