2026 Best Value Chemical & Physical Oceanography Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Chemical & Physical Oceanography](/majors/physical-sciences/geological-and-earth-sciences/oceanography-chemical-and-physical/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for chemical & physical oceanography students.
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2026 Best Value Chemical & Physical Oceanography Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the chemical & physical oceanography degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Chemical & Physical Oceanography Schools
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor tops our 2026 list of the best value chemical & physical oceanography schools in the Great Lakes Region. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,848, while out-of-state students pay about $63,081. Chemical & Physical Oceanography graduates carry a median of $17,875 in student loans. Chemical & Physical Oceanography graduates of University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earn a median of $66,254 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor admits about 16% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in chemical & physical oceanography will find it at University Of Wisconsin Madison, which ranked #2. University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public school located in the city of Madison. Students from in state pay about $11,603 in tuition and fees, compared with $42,103 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the chemical & physical oceanography program here. Early-career chemical & physical oceanography graduates make about $43,068. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Wisconsin Madison admits about 45% of applicants.
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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 · 2 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.