2026 Best Value Botany/Plant Biology Master’s Degree Schools

[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 76 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 United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the botany/plant biology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Botany/Plant Biology Schools
University Of Florida tops our 2026 list of the best value botany/plant biology schools in the United States. University Of Florida is a very large public school located in the city of Gainesville. In-state tuition and fees average $6,381, while out-of-state students pay about $28,659. Botany/plant Biology graduates carry a median of $17,669 in student loans. Soon after graduation, botany/plant biology degree recipients from University Of Florida generally make around $58,388. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 24% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in botany/plant biology will find it at Purdue University Main Campus, which ranked #2. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,992 in tuition and fees, compared with $28,794 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for botany/plant biology graduates is $19,844. Soon after graduation, botany/plant biology degree recipients from Purdue University Main Campus generally make around $63,111. That is a strong return on a $19,844 median debt. Purdue University Main Campus admits about 50% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in botany/plant biology will find it at Mississippi State University, which ranked #3. Mississippi State University is a very large public school located in the town of Mississippi State. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,202, compared with $27,637 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,969 to complete the botany/plant biology program here. Early-career botany/plant biology graduates make about $47,383. That is a strong return on a $23,969 median debt. Mississippi State University admits about 78% of applicants.
A rank of #4 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. Students from in state pay about $11,603 in tuition and fees, compared with $42,103 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,813 to complete the botany/plant biology program here. Soon after graduation, botany/plant biology degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Madison generally make around $59,877. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Wisconsin Madison admits about 45% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in botany/plant biology will find it at Rutgers University New Brunswick, which ranked #5. Rutgers University New Brunswick is a very large public school located in the city of New Brunswick. In-state tuition and fees average $17,929, while out-of-state students pay about $37,441. Botany/plant Biology graduates carry a median of $25,120 in student loans. Early-career botany/plant biology graduates make about $58,402. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Rutgers University New Brunswick admits about 58% of applicants.
Other Botany/Plant Biology Degree Levels
Explore the best-value botany/plant biology schools at other degree levels:
View All Botany/Plant Biology Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 76 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.