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2026 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools in the New England Region

[Natural Sciences](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/natural-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 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for natural sciences students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Natural Sciences Schools in the New England Region

2026 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools in the New England Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in natural sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Natural Sciences Schools

1

Harvard University
Cambridge, MA

$61,676 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,681 Avg Student Debt

$101,817 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked Harvard University the best value for a degree in natural sciences in the New England Region. Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. Students from in state pay about $61,676 in tuition and fees. Natural Sciences graduates carry a median of $23,681 in student loans. Soon after graduation, natural sciences degree recipients from Harvard University generally make around $69,242. Set against $23,681 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.

2

University Of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA

$17,772 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,234 Avg Student Debt

$71,631 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Massachusetts Amherst came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value natural sciences schools. University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a very large public school located in the city of Amherst. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,772, with out-of-state students paying around $40,449. Natural Sciences graduates carry a median of $25,234 in student loans. Soon after graduation, natural sciences degree recipients from University Of Massachusetts Amherst generally make around $53,543. That is a strong return on a $25,234 median debt. The acceptance rate is 60%.

View All Natural Sciences Rankings >

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 · 5 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.