2026 Best Value Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology Schools in the Southeast Region

[Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/microbiological-sciences-immunology/medical-microbiology-and-bacteriology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong medical microbiology & bacteriology education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools to find the best return on investment for medical microbiology & bacteriology students.
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2026 Best Value Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology Schools in the Southeast Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the medical microbiology & bacteriology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology Schools
Leading the list is University Of Florida, our #1 best value for medical microbiology & bacteriology in the Southeast Region. University Of Florida is a very large public school located in the city of Gainesville. In-state tuition and fees average $6,381, with out-of-state students paying around $28,659. Students borrow a median of $16,446 to complete the medical microbiology & bacteriology program here. Soon after graduation, medical microbiology & bacteriology degree recipients from University Of Florida generally make around $43,305. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 24% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Florida Online is a great value for students pursuing a degree in medical microbiology & bacteriology, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida Online is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,876, with out-of-state students paying around $16,579. Typical student debt for medical microbiology & bacteriology graduates is $16,446. Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology graduates of University Of Florida Online earn a median of $27,994 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 61%.
A rank of #3 makes University Of South Florida Main Campus one of the best values for medical microbiology & bacteriology. University Of South Florida Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Tampa. Students from in state pay about $6,410 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $17,324. Typical student debt for medical microbiology & bacteriology graduates is $19,503. Soon after graduation, medical microbiology & bacteriology degree recipients from University Of South Florida Main Campus generally make around $32,135. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of South Florida Main Campus admits about 43% of applicants.
University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value medical microbiology & bacteriology schools. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,994, while out-of-state students pay about $41,203. Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology graduates carry a median of $15,117 in student loans. Soon after graduation, medical microbiology & bacteriology degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill generally make around $61,361. That is a strong return on a $15,117 median debt. Roughly 15% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in medical microbiology & bacteriology will find it at Mississippi State University, which ranked #5. Located in the town of Mississippi State, Mississippi State University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,202, while out-of-state students pay about $27,637. Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology graduates carry a median of $24,000 in student loans. Early-career medical microbiology & bacteriology graduates make about $47,383. That is a strong return on a $24,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 78%.
The University Of Alabama placed #6 among the best values for medical microbiology & bacteriology. Set in the city of Tuscaloosa, The University Of Alabama is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,180, compared with $34,172 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for medical microbiology & bacteriology graduates is $24,496. Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology graduates of The University Of Alabama earn a median of $50,740 early in their careers. Set against $24,496 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Auburn University placed #7 among the best values for medical microbiology & bacteriology. Located in the city of Auburn, Auburn University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,890, with out-of-state students paying around $34,922. Students borrow a median of $22,164 to complete the medical microbiology & bacteriology program here. Soon after graduation, medical microbiology & bacteriology degree recipients from Auburn University generally make around $55,422. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 46%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.