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2026 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

[Natural Sciences](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/natural-sciences/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value natural sciences schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Natural Sciences Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

2026 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in natural sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Natural Sciences Schools

1

College Of Western Idaho
Nampa, ID

$3,446 In-State Tuition & Fees

$12,497 Avg Student Debt

College Of Western Idaho tops our 2026 list of the best value natural sciences schools in the Rocky Mountains Region. Set in the rural area of Nampa, College Of Western Idaho is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,446, with out-of-state students paying around $7,454. Students borrow a median of $12,497 to complete the natural sciences program here. Natural Sciences graduates of College Of Western Idaho earn a median of $40,963 early in their careers.

2

Colorado State University Fort Collins
Fort Collins, CO

$13,373 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,843 Avg Student Debt

$60,543 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Colorado State University Fort Collins one of the best values for natural sciences. Set in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,373 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $35,061. Typical student debt for natural sciences graduates is $22,843. Early-career natural sciences graduates make about $51,693. That is a strong return on a $22,843 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.

View All Natural Sciences Rankings >

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 · 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.