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2026 Best Value Ecology Schools in Ohio
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the ecology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Ecology Schools
For return on investment in ecology, no school beat Ohio State University Main Campus this year. Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Columbus. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,244, with out-of-state students paying around $40,022. Typical student debt for ecology graduates is $22,053. Early-career ecology graduates make about $58,088. That is a strong return on a $22,053 median debt. Ohio State University Main Campus admits about 61% of applicants.
Kent State University At Kent came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value ecology schools. Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,220, while out-of-state students pay about $21,575. Ecology graduates carry a median of $25,174 in student loans. Early-career ecology graduates make about $44,776. Set against $25,174 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in ecology will find it at Ohio University Main Campus, which ranked #3. Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the town of Athens. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,158, compared with $24,838 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,546 to complete the ecology program here. Early-career ecology graduates make about $49,736. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
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 · 9 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.
ADBLOCK #116
[Ecology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/ecology-evolution-systematics-population-biology/ecology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong ecology education at a price that pays off.
