2026 Best Value Marine Biology Associate’s Degree Schools
[Marine Biology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/ecology-evolution-systematics-population-biology/marine-biology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong marine biology education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 96 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for marine biology students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Marine Biology Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the marine biology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Marine Biology Schools
For return on investment in marine biology, no school beat Southern Maine Community College this year. Set in the city of South Portland, Southern Maine Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,156, with out-of-state students paying around $7,036. Typical student debt for marine biology graduates is $13,869. Soon after graduation, marine biology degree recipients from Southern Maine Community College generally make around $41,328. Set against $13,869 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Other Marine Biology Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value Marine Biology rankings across degree levels:
View All Marine Biology Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 96 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
