2026 Best Value Environmental Biology Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Environmental Biology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/ecology-evolution-systematics-population-biology/environmental-biology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for environmental biology students.
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2026 Best Value Environmental Biology Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in environmental biology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Environmental Biology Schools
Our analysis ranked North Dakota State University Main Campus the best value for a degree in environmental biology in the The Plains States Region. North Dakota State University Main Campus is a large public school located in the city of Fargo. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,910, compared with $15,564 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,153 to complete the environmental biology program here. Soon after graduation, environmental biology degree recipients from North Dakota State University Main Campus generally make around $54,076. Set against $25,153 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in environmental biology will find it at Washington University In St Louis, which ranked #2. Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of St. Louis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,790. Typical student debt for environmental biology graduates is $17,553. Soon after graduation, environmental biology degree recipients from Washington University In St Louis generally make around $68,303. That is a strong return on a $17,553 median debt. Roughly 12% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 8 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.
