2026 Best Value Zoology/Animal Biology Schools in California
[Zoology/Animal Biology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/zoology/zoology-animal-biology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong zoology/animal biology education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value zoology/animal biology schools.
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2026 Best Value Zoology/Animal Biology Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in zoology/animal biology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Zoology/Animal Biology Schools
For return on investment in zoology/animal biology, no school beat Humboldt State University this year. Located in the town of Arcata, Humboldt State University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $8,397 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $20,997. Zoology/animal Biology graduates carry a median of $20,690 in student loans. Zoology/animal Biology graduates of Humboldt State University earn a median of $28,565 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Humboldt State University admits about 98% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of California Santa Barbara earned it the #2 place for zoology/animal biology. University Of California Santa Barbara is a very large public school located in the suburb of Santa Barbara. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,444, while out-of-state students pay about $47,332. Students borrow a median of $15,501 to complete the zoology/animal biology program here. Zoology/animal Biology graduates of University Of California Santa Barbara earn a median of $37,633 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,501 median debt. The acceptance rate is 33%.
Students looking for strong value in zoology/animal biology will find it at University Of California Davis, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of Davis, University Of California Davis is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,804, compared with $47,692 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $14,404 to complete the zoology/animal biology program here. Zoology/animal Biology graduates of University Of California Davis earn a median of $53,749 early in their careers. Set against $14,404 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of California Davis admits about 42% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
