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2027 Best Value Environmental Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Environmental Biology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/ecology-evolution-systematics-population-biology/environmental-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 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for environmental biology students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Environmental Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region

2027 Best Value Environmental Biology Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in environmental biology, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Environmental Biology Schools

1

Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI

$18,079 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,500 Avg Student Debt

$67,253 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in environmental biology, no school beat Michigan State University this year. Michigan State University is a very large public school located in the city of East Lansing. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,079, with out-of-state students paying around $44,850. Typical student debt for environmental biology graduates is $26,500. Soon after graduation, environmental biology degree recipients from Michigan State University generally make around $29,318. Set against $26,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 85%.

2

University Of Dayton
Dayton, OH

$49,140 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,000 Avg Student Debt

$75,537 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Dayton is a great value for students pursuing a degree in environmental biology, landing the #2 spot this year. University Of Dayton is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Dayton. In-state tuition and fees average $49,140. Environmental Biology graduates carry a median of $23,000 in student loans. Early-career environmental biology graduates make about $23,609. Set against $23,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Dayton admits about 65% of applicants.

View All Environmental Biology Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.