2026 Best Value Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer Schools in the Far Western Region
[Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer](/majors/transportation-materials-handling/marine-transportation/marine-science-merchant-marine-officer/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for marine science/merchant marine officer students.
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Featured Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
2026 Best Value Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer Schools in the Far Western Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the marine science/merchant marine officer degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer Schools
For return on investment in marine science/merchant marine officer, no school beat Seattle Community College Central Campus this year. Located in the city of Seattle, Seattle Community College Central Campus is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,238, with out-of-state students paying around $5,796. Marine Science/merchant Marine Officer graduates carry a median of $14,699 in student loans. Soon after graduation, marine science/merchant marine officer degree recipients from Seattle Community College Central Campus generally make around $53,048. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in marine science/merchant marine officer will find it at California Maritime Academy, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Vallejo, California Maritime Academy is a small public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,559, with out-of-state students paying around $22,159. Typical student debt for marine science/merchant marine officer graduates is $26,945. Marine Science/merchant Marine Officer graduates of California Maritime Academy earn a median of $87,464 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 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.
