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2026 Best Value Wildlife Biology Schools in the Southwest Region

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

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for wildlife biology students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Wildlife Biology Schools in the Southwest Region

2026 Best Value Wildlife Biology Schools in the Southwest 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

1

Texas State University San Marcos
San Marcos, TX

$11,450 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,033 Avg Student Debt

$56,906 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in wildlife biology, no school beat Texas State University San Marcos this year. Located in the city of San Marcos, Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,450 in tuition and fees, compared with $22,930 for out-of-state students. Wildlife Biology graduates carry a median of $25,033 in student loans. Early-career wildlife biology graduates make about $22,264. Set against $25,033 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.

2

West Texas A And M University
Canyon, TX

$9,101 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,406 Avg Student Debt

$50,741 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes West Texas A And M University one of the best values for wildlife biology. Located in the town of Canyon, West Texas A And M University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,101, with out-of-state students paying around $10,996. Wildlife Biology graduates carry a median of $21,406 in student loans. Early-career wildlife biology graduates make about $43,515. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. West Texas A And M University admits about 99% of applicants.

View All Wildlife Biology Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 4 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.