2026 Best Value Biophysics Schools in Pennsylvania

[Biophysics](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/biochemistry-biophysics-molecular-biology/biophysics/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for biophysics students.
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2026 Best Value Biophysics Schools in Pennsylvania
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in biophysics, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Biophysics Schools
Leading the list is Swarthmore College, our #1 best value for biophysics in Pennsylvania. Swarthmore College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Swarthmore. Students from in state pay about $65,494 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for biophysics graduates is $19,500. Soon after graduation, biophysics degree recipients from Swarthmore College generally make around $66,971. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Swarthmore College admits about 8% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in biophysics will find it at Temple University, which ranked #2. Temple University is a very large public school located in the city of Philadelphia. Students from in state pay about $23,005 in tuition and fees, compared with $38,805 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for biophysics graduates is $25,500. Biophysics graduates of Temple University earn a median of $45,994 early in their careers. Set against $25,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 80%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Scranton earned it the #3 place for biophysics. Set in the city of Scranton, University Of Scranton is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $53,777 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the biophysics program here. Soon after graduation, biophysics degree recipients from University Of Scranton generally make around $56,861. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Scranton admits about 81% of applicants.
University Of Pennsylvania came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value biophysics schools. Located in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $68,686. Students borrow a median of $16,155 to complete the biophysics program here. Soon after graduation, biophysics degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $99,682. That is a strong return on a $16,155 median debt. The acceptance rate is 5%.
Students looking for strong value in biophysics will find it at Bucknell University, which ranked #5. Set in the town of Lewisburg, Bucknell University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,812. Typical student debt for biophysics graduates is $25,951. Biophysics graduates of Bucknell University earn a median of $64,331 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Bucknell University admits about 29% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.