2026 Best Value Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer](/majors/transportation-materials-handling/marine-transportation/marine-science-merchant-marine-officer/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for marine science/merchant marine officer students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in marine science/merchant marine officer, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer Schools
Leading the list is Northwestern Michigan College, our #1 best value for marine science/merchant marine officer in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the city of Traverse City, Northwestern Michigan College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,860, compared with $13,476 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for marine science/merchant marine officer graduates is $26,542. Marine Science/merchant Marine Officer graduates of Northwestern Michigan College earn a median of $87,281 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 2 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.
