2026 Best Value Wildlife Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Wildlife Biology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/zoology/wildlife-biology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for wildlife biology students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Wildlife Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the wildlife biology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Wildlife Biology Schools
Grand Valley State University tops our 2026 list of the best value wildlife biology schools in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the town of Allendale, Grand Valley State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,502 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $21,894. Wildlife Biology graduates carry a median of $26,378 in student loans. Soon after graduation, wildlife biology degree recipients from Grand Valley State University generally make around $50,179. That is a strong return on a $26,378 median debt. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Ohio University Main Campus earned it the #2 place for wildlife biology. Set in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,158, with out-of-state students paying around $24,838. Students borrow a median of $25,210 to complete the wildlife biology program here. Soon after graduation, wildlife biology degree recipients from Ohio University Main Campus generally make around $29,303. Set against $25,210 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 85% 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 · 8 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.
