2026 Best Value Evolutionary Biology Schools in the The Plains States 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. 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.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Evolutionary Biology Schools in the The Plains States 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
Our analysis ranked Saint Cloud State University the best value for a degree in evolutionary biology in the The Plains States Region. Set in the city of Saint Cloud, Saint Cloud State University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,245. Students borrow a median of $26,500 to complete the evolutionary biology program here. Early-career evolutionary biology graduates make about $24,862. That is a strong return on a $26,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 95%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Kansas earned it the #2 place for evolutionary biology. Set in the city of Lawrence, University Of Kansas is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,102, compared with $30,432 for out-of-state students. Evolutionary Biology graduates carry a median of $23,608 in student loans. Early-career evolutionary biology graduates make about $56,289. Set against $23,608 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 94%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Iowa State University earned it the #3 place for evolutionary biology. Iowa State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ames. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,787, while out-of-state students pay about $28,881. Typical student debt for evolutionary biology graduates is $24,347. Early-career evolutionary biology graduates make about $29,842. That is a strong return on a $24,347 median debt. The acceptance rate is 89%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 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.
