2026 Best Value Botany/Plant Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Botany/Plant Biology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/botany-plant-biology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 17 schools to find the best return on investment for botany/plant biology students.
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2026 Best Value Botany/Plant Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in botany/plant biology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Botany/Plant Biology Schools
Purdue University Main Campus tops our 2026 list of the best value botany/plant biology schools in the Great Lakes Region. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,992, compared with $28,794 for out-of-state students. Botany/plant Biology graduates carry a median of $19,844 in student loans. Early-career botany/plant biology graduates make about $63,111. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Wisconsin Madison one of the best values for botany/plant biology. University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public school located in the city of Madison. In-state tuition and fees average $11,603, while out-of-state students pay about $42,103. Typical student debt for botany/plant biology graduates is $21,813. Early-career botany/plant biology graduates make about $59,877. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 45% of applicants are accepted.
Ohio University Main Campus came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value botany/plant biology schools. Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the town of Athens. Students from in state pay about $14,158 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $24,838. Typical student debt for botany/plant biology graduates is $24,546. Soon after graduation, botany/plant biology degree recipients from Ohio University Main Campus generally make around $49,736. That is a strong return on a $24,546 median debt. Ohio University Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Miami University Oxford one of the best values for botany/plant biology. Located in the town of Oxford, Miami University Oxford is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $17,519 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $38,965. Typical student debt for botany/plant biology graduates is $24,177. Botany/plant Biology graduates of Miami University Oxford earn a median of $49,700 early in their careers. Set against $24,177 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Miami University Oxford admits about 75% of applicants.
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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 · 17 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.
