2026 Best Value Evolutionary Biology Schools in Michigan
[Evolutionary Biology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/ecology-evolution-systematics-population-biology/ecology-and-evolutionary-biology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for evolutionary biology students.
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2026 Best Value Evolutionary Biology Schools in Michigan
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in evolutionary biology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Evolutionary Biology Schools
For return on investment in evolutionary biology, no school beat University Of Michigan Ann Arbor this year. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,848, with out-of-state students paying around $63,081. Evolutionary Biology graduates carry a median of $15,242 in student loans. Soon after graduation, evolutionary biology degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor generally make around $46,846. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 16% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Central Michigan University earned it the #2 place for evolutionary biology. Central Michigan University is a large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,480. Typical student debt for evolutionary biology graduates is $27,857. Early-career evolutionary biology graduates make about $50,688. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Eastern Michigan University one of the best values for evolutionary biology. Set in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $16,990 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $28,781 to complete the evolutionary biology program here. Evolutionary Biology graduates of Eastern Michigan University earn a median of $47,887 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $28,781 median debt. Eastern Michigan University admits about 80% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Michigan State University one of the best values for evolutionary biology. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,079, while out-of-state students pay about $44,850. Typical student debt for evolutionary biology graduates is $26,500. Evolutionary Biology graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of $54,166 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,500 median debt. Michigan State University admits about 85% of applicants.
More Evolutionary Biology Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
