by our College Data Analytics Team
[Human Biology](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/human-biology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value human biology schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in human biology, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in human biology, no school beat Stanford University this year. Set in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $65,910. Typical student debt for human biology graduates is $12,500. Early-career human biology graduates make about $50,179. That is a strong return on a $12,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 4%.
A rank of #2 makes University Of California Los Angeles one of the best values for human biology. University Of California Los Angeles is a very large public school located in the city of Los Angeles. In-state tuition and fees average $14,233, with out-of-state students paying around $46,121. Typical student debt for human biology graduates is $12,500. Human Biology graduates of University Of California Los Angeles earn a median of $33,628 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of California Los Angeles admits about 9% of applicants.
University Of California Irvine came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value human biology schools. Set in the city of Irvine, University Of California Irvine is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,752, while out-of-state students pay about $46,640. Students borrow a median of $20,900 to complete the human biology program here. Human Biology graduates of University Of California Irvine earn a median of $12,187 early in their careers. Set against $20,900 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 29%.
National University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value human biology schools. Set in the city of San Diego, National University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,284. Students borrow a median of $30,426 to complete the human biology program here. Soon after graduation, human biology degree recipients from National University generally make around $69,080. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Southern California came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value human biology schools. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $71,647. Students borrow a median of $14,500 to complete the human biology program here. Soon after graduation, human biology degree recipients from University Of Southern California generally make around $23,405. That is a strong return on a $14,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 10%.
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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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.