[Bioinformatics](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/biomathematics-bioinformatics-computational-biology/bioinformatics/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for bioinformatics students.
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Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in bioinformatics, balancing cost against outcomes.
Leading the list is University Of California San Diego, our #1 best value for bioinformatics in the Far Western Region. Set in the city of La Jolla, University Of California San Diego is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,788 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $47,676. Bioinformatics graduates carry a median of $19,724 in student loans. Soon after graduation, bioinformatics degree recipients from University Of California San Diego generally make around $76,592. That is a strong return on a $19,724 median debt. Roughly 27% of applicants are accepted.
University Of California Los Angeles came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value bioinformatics schools. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $14,233 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $46,121. Bioinformatics graduates carry a median of $16,097 in student loans. Early-career bioinformatics graduates make about $63,833. Set against $16,097 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
San Diego State University came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value bioinformatics schools. Located in the city of San Diego, San Diego State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,728, with out-of-state students paying around $21,328. Bioinformatics graduates carry a median of $16,417 in student loans. Bioinformatics graduates of San Diego State University earn a median of $51,162 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,417 median debt. Roughly 36% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in bioinformatics will find it at University Of California Santa Cruz, which ranked #4. University Of California Santa Cruz is a very large public school located in the city of Santa Cruz. In-state tuition and fees average $15,035, with out-of-state students paying around $46,923. Bioinformatics graduates carry a median of $18,559 in student loans. Bioinformatics graduates of University Of California Santa Cruz earn a median of $40,920 early in their careers. Set against $18,559 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of California Santa Cruz admits about 66% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Southern California earned it the #5 place for bioinformatics. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $71,647. Typical student debt for bioinformatics graduates is $15,625. Early-career bioinformatics graduates make about $58,044. That is a strong return on a $15,625 median debt. The acceptance rate is 10%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
