2026 Best Value Marine Science Schools in Florida
[Marine Science](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/marine-science/) 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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for marine science students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Marine Science Schools in Florida
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in marine science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Marine Science Schools
Leading the list is University Of Florida, our #1 best value for marine science in Florida. University Of Florida is a very large public school located in the city of Gainesville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,381, with out-of-state students paying around $28,659. Students borrow a median of $17,669 to complete the marine science program here. Marine Science graduates of University Of Florida earn a median of $58,388 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 24% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Florida Atlantic University earned it the #2 place for marine science. Florida Atlantic University is a very large public school located in the city of Boca Raton. In-state tuition and fees average $4,879, with out-of-state students paying around $17,324. Typical student debt for marine science graduates is $20,212. Soon after graduation, marine science degree recipients from Florida Atlantic University generally make around $49,340. Set against $20,212 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 66%.
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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
