by our College Data Analytics Team
[Molecular Biology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/biochemistry-biophysics-molecular-biology/molecular-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.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for molecular biology students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the molecular biology degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in molecular biology, no school beat Juniata College this year. Set in the town of Huntingdon, Juniata College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,580. Typical student debt for molecular biology graduates is $26,976. Molecular Biology graduates of Juniata College earn a median of $30,552 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,976 median debt. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Messiah College earned it the #2 place for molecular biology. Located in the suburb of Mechanicsburg, Messiah College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $42,240. Students borrow a median of $26,195 to complete the molecular biology program here. Early-career molecular biology graduates make about $48,957. That is a strong return on a $26,195 median debt. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in molecular biology, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Pittsburgh. In-state tuition and fees average $21,926, while out-of-state students pay about $41,430. Molecular Biology graduates carry a median of $26,558 in student loans. Soon after graduation, molecular biology degree recipients from University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus generally make around $33,554. That is a strong return on a $26,558 median debt. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in molecular biology will find it at Lehigh University, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Bethlehem, Lehigh University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $64,980. Students borrow a median of $20,710 to complete the molecular biology program here. Early-career molecular biology graduates make about $70,321. That is a strong return on a $20,710 median debt. Roughly 26% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in molecular biology will find it at Drexel University, which ranked #5. Drexel University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. Students from in state pay about $62,412 in tuition and fees. Molecular Biology graduates carry a median of $28,838 in student loans. Soon after graduation, molecular biology degree recipients from Drexel University generally make around $67,556. Set against $28,838 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Drexel University admits about 79% of applicants.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.