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2026 Best Value Evolutionary Biology Schools in the Southeast 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.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for evolutionary biology students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Evolutionary Biology Schools in the Southeast Region

2026 Best Value Evolutionary Biology Schools in the Southeast 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

1

Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

$67,498 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,975 Avg Student Debt

$91,565 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Vanderbilt University, our #1 best value for evolutionary biology in the Southeast Region. Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,498. Typical student debt for evolutionary biology graduates is $13,975. Evolutionary Biology graduates of Vanderbilt University earn a median of $77,997 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.

2

Florida Southern College
Lakeland, FL

$44,040 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,250 Avg Student Debt

$55,294 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Florida Southern College earned it the #2 place for evolutionary biology. Florida Southern College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lakeland. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $44,040. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the evolutionary biology program here. Early-career evolutionary biology graduates make about $26,616. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Florida Southern College admits about 64% of applicants.

View All Evolutionary Biology Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 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.