2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Marine Biology (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Marine Biology is the 288th most popular major in the country with 1,914 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 411 marine biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 41 marine biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $59,319 and $48,880 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 3 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in marine biology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent marine biology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the marine biology program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Marine Biology Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 3 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Marine Biology (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

#1

University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, California

#1 in overall quality

$28,631 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 36 masters’s biological oceanography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Marine Biology Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCSD are $28,631.

Read full report on Marine Biology at UCSD

#2

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii

#2 in overall quality

$34,550 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Hawaii at Manoa landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Hawaii at Manoa is a fairly large public school situated in Honolulu, Hawaii. It awarded 4 masters’s biological oceanography degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Manoa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Marine Biology Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Hawaii at Manoa are $34,550, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UH Manoa Marine Biology Report

#3

University of San Diego

San Diego, California

$28,410 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of San Diego. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Biological Oceanography Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. USD is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 1 masters’s biological oceanography degrees in 2019-2020.

USD also made our “Best Marine Biology Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #0. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of San Diego are $28,410, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Marine Biology at University of San Diego

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Marine Biology (Income $30-$48k)

Notes and References

References

• 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).
• Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

• *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
• Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

• Credit for the banner image above goes to Ernst Haeckel.

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