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Best Schools for Marine Biology in California
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the marine biology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Marine Biology
No school ranked higher than California State University Long Beach this year for marine biology. Set in the city of Long Beach, California State University Long Beach is a very large public institution. About 69% of students finish within six years. About 68 marine biology degrees were awarded at California State University Long Beach in the most recent year. Students who receive their marine biology degree from California State University Long Beach earn around $35,436 in the first couple years of their career. California State University Long Beach graduates carry a median of $19,948 in student loans.
Get the full marine biology details for California State University Long Beach
Students looking for a strong marine biology program will find one at University Of California Los Angeles, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 93%. University Of California Los Angeles awarded about 15 marine biology degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, marine biology degree recipients from University Of California Los Angeles generally make around $18,728. Students borrow a median of $17,417 to complete this degree.
See the full marine biology program report for University Of California Los Angeles
A rank of #3 makes University Of California San Diego one of the top schools for marine biology. Located in the city of La Jolla, University Of California San Diego is a very large public university. University Of California San Diego graduates 86% of students within six years. University Of California San Diego awarded about 159 marine biology degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the marine biology program make about $40,677 in their early career. University Of California San Diego graduates carry a median of $18,834 in student loans.
More information about a degree in marine biology from University Of California San Diego
A rank of #4 makes University Of California Santa Cruz one of the top schools for marine biology. University Of California Santa Cruz is a very large public school located in the city of Santa Cruz. Roughly 75% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of California Santa Cruz awarded about 92 marine biology degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the marine biology program make about $25,810 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $18,887 to complete this degree.
See the full marine biology program report for University Of California Santa Cruz
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 9 schools evaluated.
- 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.
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