2027 Best Value Ecology Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Ecology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/ecology-evolution-systematics-population-biology/ecology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong ecology education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for ecology students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Ecology Schools in the The Plains States Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the ecology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Ecology Schools
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities tops our 2027 list of the best value ecology schools in the The Plains States Region. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,214, with out-of-state students paying around $38,362. Ecology graduates carry a median of $24,000 in student loans. Ecology graduates of University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earn a median of $49,410 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Iowa State University earned it the #2 place for ecology. Set in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,787 in tuition and fees, compared with $28,881 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,347 to complete the ecology program here. Early-career ecology graduates make about $29,842. That is a strong return on a $24,347 median debt. Iowa State University admits about 89% of applicants.
Washington University In St Louis is a great value for students pursuing a degree in ecology, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the suburb of St. Louis, Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,790. Ecology graduates carry a median of $17,553 in student loans. Ecology graduates of Washington University In St Louis earn a median of $68,303 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 12%.
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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 · 3 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.
