Toxicology · Illinois

Toxicology colleges in Illinois

CampusPin lists 123 U.S. colleges in Illinois that offer Toxicology programs. Compare tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment in the table below, every figure links back to the institution's official IPEDS data.

Toxicology studies how poisons and other biohazards harm living systems, covering dose, mechanism, and risk across medicine, pharmaceuticals, the environment, and the workplace.

Schools in Illinois that offer Toxicology

Toxicology programs in Illinois: by the numbers

A quick comparison of the 50 schools (of 123 total) listed above, drawn from each institution's published IPEDS data.

Schools listed

123

Public / private

25 / 25

Universities / 2-year

27 / 23

Cities represented

31

In-state tuition range

$3,180–$55,704

Median in-state tuition

$13,079

Lowest published in-state tuition

Elgin Community College

$3,180

Most selective

Chicago State University

41% acceptance

Largest by enrollment

DePaul University

21,257 students

Figures reflect the schools currently listed and each institution's most recent reported data. Verify current tuition and admissions details with the school before applying.

What you'll study in a Toxicology program

  • Toxicological biochemistry and the chemistry of toxic agents
  • Dose-response relationships and how exposure shapes harm
  • Toxicokinetics, metabolism, and the fate of a toxin in the body
  • Molecular and cellular mechanisms of toxicity
  • Pathophysiology and effects on specific organ systems
  • Study of specific toxins and biohazards and their transporters
  • Risk assessment for medicine, pharmaceuticals, the environment, and the workplace
  • Laboratory and analytical instrumentation techniques
  • Prevention, management, and counteraction of exposure

Where a Toxicology degree can lead

  • Toxicologist
  • Medical Scientist
  • Laboratory Technician
  • Pharmaceutical Research Associate
  • Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
  • Regulatory Affairs Specialist

Typical pay: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 medical scientists median $100,590).

Toxicology is the scientific study of poisons and other biohazards, examining how chemical and biological agents interact with organisms and with the food and respiratory systems that carry them. Coursework centers on toxicological biochemistry, toxic agents and their transporters, the fate of a toxin once it enters the body, toxicokinetics and metabolism, and the molecular mechanisms that drive toxicity. Students also study pathophysiology, specific toxins, and the effects of exposure on particular organ systems. The field is anchored in dose-response thinking, the principle that the amount and duration of exposure shape harm, and it extends that logic toward prevention, management, and counteraction. Where Biology surveys living systems broadly and Biochemistry maps the chemistry of life itself, Toxicology asks a narrower and more applied question, namely how a given agent injures an organism and how that injury can be measured, predicted, and reduced.

Toxicology also reads distinctly from Environmental Health, which frames exposure mainly through community and population conditions, because the toxicologist works closer to the bench, on mechanism, metabolism, and the behavior of specific toxins. The major is research-heavy and laboratory-centered, blending wet-lab work, animal or cell-based study, analytical instrumentation, and quantitative risk analysis. Students should expect a strong chemistry and biology foundation plus hands-on experience generating and interpreting exposure data. Be aware that independent toxicologist roles, including those tied to the closely related medical scientist occupation, typically require graduate or professional study at the doctoral level, so many students continue into a master's or doctoral program. Bachelor's graduates more often begin in laboratory technician, quality, regulatory support, and occupational or environmental safety roles, then advance their responsibilities as they gain credentials and experience. Verify any program's specific licensure or credential pathways with the program and your state before enrolling.

In federal data for the closely related occupation of medical scientists, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $100,590 and projects employment to grow about 8.7% from 2024 to 2034; a doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.

Toxicology in other states

Other majors in Illinois

Find more Toxicology schools

Use CampusPin's filter-first search to narrow 123+ Toxicology programs in Illinois by tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting.

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