---

2026 Best Value Fisheries Sciences Master’s Degree Schools

[Fisheries Sciences](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/fishing-fisheries-sciences/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong fisheries sciences education at a price that pays off.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 29 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for fisheries sciences students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Master’s Degree Fisheries Sciences Schools
• Other Degree Levels

2026 Best Value Fisheries Sciences Schools in the United States

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

Best Value Fisheries Sciences Schools

1

University Of Florida
Gainesville, FL

$6,381 In-State Tuition & Fees

$17,669 Avg Student Debt

$71,588 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Florida tops our 2026 list of the best value fisheries sciences schools in the United States. Set in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,381, with out-of-state students paying around $28,659. Typical student debt for fisheries sciences graduates is $17,669. Soon after graduation, fisheries sciences degree recipients from University Of Florida generally make around $53,216. That is a strong return on a $17,669 median debt. University Of Florida admits about 24% of applicants.

2

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University
Blacksburg, VA

$15,948 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,393 Avg Student Debt

$81,698 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University one of the best values for fisheries sciences. Set in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,948 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $37,764. Fisheries Sciences graduates carry a median of $23,393 in student loans. Fisheries Sciences graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earn a median of $60,004 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,393 median debt. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University admits about 55% of applicants.

Other Fisheries Sciences Degree Levels

Explore the best-value fisheries sciences schools at other degree levels:

View All Fisheries Sciences 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 · 29 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.