2026 Best Value Evolutionary Biology Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

[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. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for evolutionary biology students.
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2026 Best Value Evolutionary Biology Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the evolutionary biology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Evolutionary Biology Schools
For return on investment in evolutionary biology, no school beat Princeton University this year. Located in the city of Princeton, Princeton University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $62,688. Typical student debt for evolutionary biology graduates is $10,888. Early-career evolutionary biology graduates make about $53,038. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 5% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Columbia University In The City Of New York earned it the #2 place for evolutionary biology. Set in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $70,517 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $23,258 to complete the evolutionary biology program here. Early-career evolutionary biology graduates make about $76,132. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.
Temple University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in evolutionary biology, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Temple University is a very large public university. 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 evolutionary biology graduates is $26,259. Soon after graduation, evolutionary biology degree recipients from Temple University generally make around $66,828. That is a strong return on a $26,259 median debt. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus earned it the #4 place for evolutionary biology. University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Pittsburgh. Students from in state pay about $21,926 in tuition and fees, compared with $41,430 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for evolutionary biology graduates is $24,958. Evolutionary Biology graduates of University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus earn a median of $63,289 early in their careers. Set against $24,958 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
Drexel University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in evolutionary biology, landing the #5 spot this year. Drexel University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $62,412. Evolutionary Biology graduates carry a median of $28,838 in student loans. Soon after graduation, evolutionary biology degree recipients from Drexel University generally make around $62,505. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Drexel University admits about 79% of applicants.
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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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.