2026 Best Value Water, Wetlands, & Marine Resources Management Schools in the Southwest Region

[Water, Wetlands, & Marine Resources Management](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/natural-resource-management/water-wetlands-and-marine-resources-management/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value water, wetlands, & marine resources management schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Water, Wetlands, & Marine Resources Management Schools in the Southwest Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the water, wetlands, & marine resources management degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Water, Wetlands, & Marine Resources Management Schools
Leading the list is Texas State University San Marcos, our #1 best value for water, wetlands, & marine resources management in the Southwest Region. Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public school located in the city of San Marcos. Students from in state pay about $11,450 in tuition and fees, compared with $22,930 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,659 to complete the water, wetlands, & marine resources management program here. Water, Wetlands, & Marine Resources Management graduates of Texas State University San Marcos earn a median of $47,456 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,659 median debt. Texas State University San Marcos admits about 89% of applicants.
Texas A And M University College Station is a great value for students pursuing a degree in water, wetlands, & marine resources management, landing the #2 spot this year. Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public school located in the city of College Station. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,995, compared with $40,124 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,815 to complete the water, wetlands, & marine resources management program here. Early-career water, wetlands, & marine resources management graduates make about $30,362. Set against $21,815 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 57%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 3 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.