2026 Best Value Evolutionary Biology Schools in California
[Evolutionary Biology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/ecology-evolution-systematics-population-biology/evolutionary-biology/) 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 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value evolutionary biology schools.
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2026 Best Value Evolutionary Biology Schools in California
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
University Of California Riverside earned the #1 spot for value among evolutionary biology schools in California. Set in the city of Riverside, University Of California Riverside is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,636 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $46,524. Students borrow a median of $19,187 to complete the evolutionary biology program here. Soon after graduation, evolutionary biology degree recipients from University Of California Riverside generally make around $40,040. That is a strong return on a $19,187 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Southern California is a great value for students pursuing a degree in evolutionary biology, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $71,647. Evolutionary Biology graduates carry a median of $15,625 in student loans. Soon after graduation, evolutionary biology degree recipients from University Of Southern California generally make around $75,677. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 10%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 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.
