2026 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in natural sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Natural Sciences Schools
For return on investment in natural sciences, no school beat California State University Los Angeles this year. California State University Los Angeles is a very large public school located in the city of Los Angeles. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,164, while out-of-state students pay about $19,764. Typical student debt for natural sciences graduates is $14,430. Natural Sciences graduates of California State University Los Angeles earn a median of $39,870 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $14,430 median debt. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Loyola Marymount University earned it the #2 place for natural sciences. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $61,867 in tuition and fees. Natural Sciences graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career natural sciences graduates make about $33,647. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 45% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 12 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.
[Natural Sciences](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/natural-sciences/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
