2026 Best Value General Biology Schools in Louisiana

[General Biology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/general-biology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general biology education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 23 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general biology schools.
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2026 Best Value General Biology Schools in Louisiana
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general biology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Biology Schools
For return on investment in general biology, no school beat Louisiana State University Alexandria this year. Located in the rural area of Alexandria, Louisiana State University Alexandria is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,050, while out-of-state students pay about $14,725. Students borrow a median of $19,528 to complete the general biology program here. General Biology graduates of Louisiana State University Alexandria earn a median of $47,702 early in their careers. Set against $19,528 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 92%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Mcneese State University earned it the #2 place for general biology. Set in the city of Lake Charles, Mcneese State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,489, while out-of-state students pay about $9,989. Typical student debt for general biology graduates is $20,869. General Biology graduates of Mcneese State University earn a median of $28,276 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,869 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
University Of New Orleans is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general biology, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of New Orleans, University Of New Orleans is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $9,172 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $14,008. General Biology graduates carry a median of $22,500 in student loans. Early-career general biology graduates make about $33,784. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 74%.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Louisiana Monroe one of the best values for general biology. University Of Louisiana Monroe is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Monroe. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,190, compared with $21,290 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general biology graduates is $20,000. General Biology graduates of University Of Louisiana Monroe earn a median of $47,162 early in their careers. Set against $20,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Louisiana Monroe admits about 85% of applicants.
Louisiana State University Shreveport is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general biology, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Shreveport, Louisiana State University Shreveport is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,327. General Biology graduates carry a median of $26,695 in student loans. Early-career general biology graduates make about $24,405. That is a strong return on a $26,695 median debt. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.
Southeastern Louisiana University landed the #6 spot for general biology value this year. Southeastern Louisiana University is a large public school located in the city of Hammond. In-state tuition and fees average $8,373, with out-of-state students paying around $20,851. Typical student debt for general biology graduates is $20,062. Early-career general biology graduates make about $30,865. That is a strong return on a $20,062 median debt. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Nicholls State University came in at #7 for value in general biology this year. Set in the city of Thibodaux, Nicholls State University is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,149, compared with $9,242 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general biology graduates is $22,187. General Biology graduates of Nicholls State University earn a median of $23,672 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,187 median debt. The acceptance rate is 91%.
Louisiana Tech University came in at #8 for value in general biology this year. Located in the town of Ruston, Louisiana Tech University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,125, compared with $16,866 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,917 to complete the general biology program here. Early-career general biology graduates make about $27,358. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Louisiana Tech University admits about 86% of applicants.
University Of Louisiana Lafayette earned the #9 position for value in general biology this year. University Of Louisiana Lafayette is a large public school located in the city of Lafayette. In-state tuition and fees average $10,418, while out-of-state students pay about $24,146. Students borrow a median of $21,500 to complete the general biology program here. Soon after graduation, general biology degree recipients from University Of Louisiana Lafayette generally make around $18,690. That is a strong return on a $21,500 median debt. University Of Louisiana Lafayette admits about 87% of applicants.
Northwestern State University Of Louisiana earned the #10 position for value in general biology this year. Set in the town of Natchitoches, Northwestern State University Of Louisiana is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,864, while out-of-state students pay about $19,652. Students borrow a median of $26,821 to complete the general biology program here. Early-career general biology graduates make about $25,078. That is a strong return on a $26,821 median debt. The acceptance rate is 92%.
Southern University At New Orleans earned the #11 position for value in general biology this year. Set in the city of New Orleans, Southern University At New Orleans is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,054, while out-of-state students pay about $16,954. Students borrow a median of $48,451 to complete the general biology program here. Soon after graduation, general biology degree recipients from Southern University At New Orleans generally make around $37,296. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
Xavier University Of Louisiana earned the #12 position for value in general biology this year. Located in the city of New Orleans, Xavier University Of Louisiana is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $28,979 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,887 to complete the general biology program here. Soon after graduation, general biology degree recipients from Xavier University Of Louisiana generally make around $17,761. That is a strong return on a $25,887 median debt. The acceptance rate is 69%.
Dillard University came in at #13 for value in general biology this year. Located in the city of New Orleans, Dillard University is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $22,734 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $31,376 to complete the general biology program here. Soon after graduation, general biology degree recipients from Dillard University generally make around $23,999. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Dillard University admits about 42% of applicants.
Grambling State University earned the #14 position for value in general biology this year. Grambling State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Grambling. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,683, with out-of-state students paying around $16,706. General Biology graduates carry a median of $33,187 in student loans. Early-career general biology graduates make about $27,164. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 45%.
Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College landed the #15 spot for general biology value this year. Located in the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,954, with out-of-state students paying around $28,631. Students borrow a median of $20,875 to complete the general biology program here. Soon after graduation, general biology degree recipients from Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College generally make around $22,742. That is a strong return on a $20,875 median debt. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
Southern University And A And M College earned the #16 position for value in general biology this year. Set in the city of Baton Rouge, Southern University And A And M College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,922, with out-of-state students paying around $17,272. Students borrow a median of $33,000 to complete the general biology program here. General Biology graduates of Southern University And A And M College earn a median of $36,095 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $33,000 median debt. Roughly 35% of applicants are accepted.
Loyola University New Orleans landed the #17 spot for general biology value this year. Loyola University New Orleans is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of New Orleans. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $49,440. General Biology graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career general biology graduates make about $30,181. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
Centenary College Of Louisiana ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the best value general biology schools. Centenary College Of Louisiana is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Shreveport. In-state tuition and fees average $41,200. Typical student debt for general biology graduates is $27,000. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $50,330. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 56%.
Tulane University Of Louisiana placed #19 among the best values for general biology. Tulane University Of Louisiana is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New Orleans. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,678. Students borrow a median of $13,875 to complete the general biology program here. General Biology graduates of Tulane University Of Louisiana earn a median of $54,082 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $13,875 median debt. Roughly 14% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 23 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 17 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.