2026 Best Value Marine Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region
[Marine Sciences](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/marine-science/marine-sciences/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for marine sciences students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Marine Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in marine sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Marine Sciences Schools
University Of Florida earned the #1 spot for value among marine sciences schools in the Southeast Region. University Of Florida is a very large public school located in the city of Gainesville. In-state tuition and fees average $6,381, compared with $28,659 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for marine sciences graduates is $17,669. Marine Sciences graduates of University Of Florida earn a median of $58,388 early in their careers. Set against $17,669 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 24% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Florida Atlantic University one of the best values for marine sciences. Located in the city of Boca Raton, Florida Atlantic University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,879, with out-of-state students paying around $17,324. Students borrow a median of $20,212 to complete the marine sciences program here. Early-career marine sciences graduates make about $49,340. Set against $20,212 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Florida Atlantic University admits about 66% of applicants.
University Of Georgia is a great value for students pursuing a degree in marine sciences, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Athens, University Of Georgia is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,450 in tuition and fees, compared with $31,688 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,792 to complete the marine sciences program here. Marine Sciences graduates of University Of Georgia earn a median of $53,546 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 38%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 10 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.
