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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Marine Biology (Income $0-$30k)

60 Ranked Colleges
1,558 Degrees Awarded
$10,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 1,914 people earned their degree in marine biology, making the major the 288th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,558 marine biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 60 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in marine biology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent marine biology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the marine biology program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree biological oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Marine Biology (Income $0-$30k)

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biological oceanography students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Marine Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for bachelor’s degree biological oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Marine Biology at UCLA

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Marine Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $7,850 for Bachelor’s Degree Biological Oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Marine Biology at UW Seattle

Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #3 spot on the list. UT Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UT Rio Grande Valley is $2,993 for bachelor’s degree biological oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Marine Biology at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

#4

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeastern University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees to qualified students.

Northeastern also made our “Best Marine Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $10,239 for bachelor’s degree biological oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Marine Biology at Northeastern

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida International University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. FIU is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 24 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FIU is $5,002 for bachelor’s degree biological oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Marine Biology at FIU

#6

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of West Florida is a public institution located in Pensacola, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UWF is $4,140 for Bachelor’s Degree Biological Oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UWF Marine Biology Report

#25 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 31 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Marine Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,364 for Bachelor’s Degree Biological Oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full CSULB Marine Biology Report

#4 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Marine Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,280 for bachelor’s degree biological oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - San Diego Marine Biology Report

#11 in overall quality

University of Puerto Rico - Humacao came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Puerto Rico - Humacao is a small school located in Humacao, that handed out 19 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees in 2019-2020.

UPR Humacao did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Marine Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Puerto Rico - Humacao is $8,788 for bachelor’s degree biological oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Marine Biology at UPR Humacao

#10

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

Boston University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boston U is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 20 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Marine Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Boston University is $12,903 for bachelor’s degree biological oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Boston University Marine Biology Report

#11

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#6 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. College Station, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees to 106 students in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best Marine Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $11,454 for Bachelor’s Degree Biological Oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M University - College Station.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station Marine Biology Report

#12

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#9 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees to qualified students.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Marine Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $10,872 for bachelor’s degree biological oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Marine Biology at UC Santa Cruz

#13

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, New York
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Stony Brook University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stony Brook University is located in Stony Brook, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree biological oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k list, SUNY Stony Brook has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Marine Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,683 for Bachelor’s Degree Biological Oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stony Brook University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Marine Biology at SUNY Stony Brook

Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Teaneck, New Jersey. It awarded 2 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FDU is $10,189 for Bachelor’s Degree Biological Oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus Marine Biology Report

#15

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Wilmington, North Carolina
#24 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Wilmington, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 84 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biological oceanography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree biological oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNCW has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Marine Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNCW is $12,229 for Bachelor’s Degree Biological Oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Marine Biology at University of North Carolina at Wilmington

#16

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. WWU is a public institution located in Bellingham, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Western Washington University is $9,743 for Bachelor’s Degree Biological Oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Marine Biology at WWU

#17

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Columbia, South Carolina, this large public school awarded 54 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biological oceanography students in 2019-2020.

UofSC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Marine Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UofSC is $12,426 for Bachelor’s Degree Biological Oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Full University of South Carolina - Columbia Marine Biology Report

#18

Coastal Carolina University

Conway, South Carolina

Coastal Carolina University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Conway, South Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 132 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biological oceanography students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Coastal Carolina University is $12,442 for bachelor’s degree biological oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Marine Biology at Coastal Carolina University

#19

Montclair State University

Montclair, New Jersey

Montclair State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Montclair State is a large school located in Montclair, New Jersey that handed out 5 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,072 for Bachelor’s Degree Biological Oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Montclair State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Marine Biology at Montclair State

#20

Savannah State University

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Savannah State University is a small public school situated in Savannah, Georgia. It awarded 6 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Savannah State University is $8,933 for bachelor’s degree biological oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Marine Biology at Savannah State University

Northwest Missouri State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Maryville, Missouri that handed out 17 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northwest Missouri State University is $9,990 for Bachelor’s Degree Biological Oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Marine Biology at Northwest Missouri State University

#22

University of Rhode Island

Kingston, Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Kingston, Rhode Island is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,309 for Bachelor’s Degree Biological Oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Rhode Island.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Marine Biology at URI

#23

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii

University of Hawaii at Manoa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. University of Hawaii at Manoa is a fairly large public school situated in Honolulu, Hawaii. It awarded 33 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Hawaii at Manoa is $10,986 for Bachelor’s Degree Biological Oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Marine Biology at UH Manoa

#24

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut
#12 in overall quality

University of Connecticut ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Connecticut is a large school located in Storrs, Connecticut that handed out 11 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees in 2019-2020.

UCONN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Marine Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UCONN is $12,381 for Bachelor’s Degree Biological Oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Marine Biology at UCONN

#25

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts
#16 in overall quality

Salem State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Salem State is located in Salem, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s biological oceanography degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Salem State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Marine Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Salem State University is $14,593 for bachelor’s degree biological oceanography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Salem State University Marine Biology Report

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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