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2026 Best Value Population Biology Master’s Degree Schools

[Population Biology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/ecology-evolution-systematics-population-biology/population-biology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong population biology education at a price that pays off.

College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value population biology schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Master’s Degree Population Biology Schools
• Other Degree Levels

2026 Best Value Population Biology Schools in the United States

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the population biology degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Population Biology Schools

1

Texas State University San Marcos
San Marcos, TX

$11,450 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,659 Avg Student Debt

$56,906 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Texas State University San Marcos, our #1 best value for population biology in the United States. Set in the city of San Marcos, Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,450, compared with $22,930 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,659 to complete the population biology program here. Soon after graduation, population biology degree recipients from Texas State University San Marcos generally make around $47,456. Set against $23,659 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.

2

Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD

$64,730 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,426 Avg Student Debt

$87,555 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Johns Hopkins University one of the best values for population biology. Johns Hopkins University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore. In-state tuition and fees average $64,730. Students borrow a median of $13,426 to complete the population biology program here. Soon after graduation, population biology degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University generally make around $87,746. Set against $13,426 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.

Other Population Biology Degree Levels

Explore the best-value population biology schools at other degree levels:

View All Population Biology Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced 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 · 4 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.