2027 Best Value Marine Biology Schools in the The Plains States Region
[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.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for marine biology students.
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2027 Best Value Marine Biology Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in marine biology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Marine Biology Schools
Our analysis ranked Northwest Missouri State University the best value for a degree in marine biology in the The Plains States Region. Northwest Missouri State University is a large public school located in the town of Maryville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,611, while out-of-state students pay about $17,324. Typical student debt for marine biology graduates is $23,585. Soon after graduation, marine biology degree recipients from Northwest Missouri State University generally make around $42,939. Set against $23,585 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in marine biology will find it at Central Methodist University College Of Liberal Arts And Sciences, which ranked #2. Central Methodist University College Of Liberal Arts And Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Fayette. Students from in state pay about $28,620 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $24,633 to complete the marine biology program here. Marine Biology graduates of Central Methodist University College Of Liberal Arts And Sciences earn a median of $47,538 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,633 median debt. Roughly 57% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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.
