2026 Best Value Marine Biology Schools in the Southwest Region
[Marine Biology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/ecology-evolution-systematics-population-biology/marine-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 3 schools to find the best return on investment for marine biology students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Marine Biology Schools in the Southwest Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the marine biology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Marine Biology Schools
For return on investment in marine biology, no school beat The University Of Texas Pan American this year. Located in the city of Edinburg, The University Of Texas Pan American is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,799, with out-of-state students paying around $19,645. Typical student debt for marine biology graduates is $14,694. Soon after graduation, marine biology degree recipients from The University Of Texas Pan American generally make around $46,404. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 94%.
A rank of #2 makes Texas A And M University College Station one of the best values for marine biology. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,995, compared with $40,124 for out-of-state students. Marine Biology graduates carry a median of $23,461 in student loans. Soon after graduation, marine biology degree recipients from Texas A And M University College Station generally make around $40,352. That is a strong return on a $23,461 median debt. Roughly 57% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
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 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.
