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2026 Best Value Ecology Schools in the New England Region

[Ecology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/ecology-evolution-systematics-population-biology/ecology/) 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 8 schools to find the best return on investment for ecology students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Ecology Schools in the New England Region

2026 Best Value Ecology Schools in the New England Region

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

1

University Of Connecticut
Storrs, CT

$21,044 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,798 Avg Student Debt

$73,997 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in ecology, no school beat University Of Connecticut this year. Located in the town of Storrs, University Of Connecticut is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $21,044 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $43,712. Students borrow a median of $26,798 to complete the ecology program here. Early-career ecology graduates make about $32,882. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 52%.

2

Connecticut College
New London, CT

$67,242 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,979 Avg Student Debt

$75,001 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in ecology will find it at Connecticut College, which ranked #2. Set in the city of New London, Connecticut College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,242. Ecology graduates carry a median of $25,979 in student loans. Early-career ecology graduates make about $43,936. Set against $25,979 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 37%.

View All Ecology Rankings >

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 · 8 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.