2026 Best Value Marine Sciences Schools in California
[Marine Sciences](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/marine-science/marine-sciences/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for marine sciences students.
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2026 Best Value Marine Sciences Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in marine sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Marine Sciences Schools
For return on investment in marine sciences, no school beat San Francisco State University this year. San Francisco State University is a very large public school located in the city of San Francisco. Students from in state pay about $7,846 in tuition and fees, compared with $20,446 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for marine sciences graduates is $17,024. Early-career marine sciences graduates make about $50,955. Set against $17,024 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. San Francisco State University admits about 96% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in marine sciences will find it at California State University Monterey Bay, which ranked #2. California State University Monterey Bay is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Seaside. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,779, compared with $20,379 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for marine sciences graduates is $17,800. Soon after graduation, marine sciences degree recipients from California State University Monterey Bay generally make around $27,268. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 97%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of California Davis earned it the #3 place for marine sciences. University Of California Davis is a very large public school located in the suburb of Davis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,804, compared with $47,692 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for marine sciences graduates is $14,404. Soon after graduation, marine sciences degree recipients from University Of California Davis generally make around $53,749. Set against $14,404 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of California Davis admits about 42% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo one of the best values for marine sciences. Set in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,161, while out-of-state students pay about $33,230. Students borrow a median of $19,273 to complete the marine sciences program here. Marine Sciences graduates of California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo earn a median of $27,337 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,273 median debt. California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo admits about 31% of applicants.
More Marine Sciences Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 7 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.
