by our College Data Analytics Team
[Ecology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/ecology-evolution-systematics-population-biology/ecology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value ecology schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the ecology degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in ecology, no school beat Pennsylvania State University Main Campus this year. Located in the city of University Park, Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $20,644, with out-of-state students paying around $41,790. Median earnings reach $63,435 ten years out. Roughly 61% of applicants are accepted.
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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.