### SUMMARY

 Studying Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography is not only a valuable choice, but ordinarily a mandatory first step for undergrads coveting to begin a career as a marine biologist, an oceanographer, or a fish and wildlife biologist. Interestingly, marine biology and biological oceanography is a ​unique degree ranking as the 178th most popular major. Last year alone, there were 1,490 marine biology and biological oceanography diplomas received. In-state tuition for marine biology and biological oceanography at private universities is, on average, 3.6 times more expensive than their public counterparts.

 With only 79 colleges having programs for marine biology and biological oceanography you might have a smaller selection of institutions you can choose from. If you are hoping to surround yourself with other marine biology and biological oceanography students, consider universities in Florida which have the most students admitted to marine biology and biological oceanography annually. Zooming out, the best region to study marine biology and biological oceanography is in the Southeast region with [University of North Carolina Wilmington](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-wilmington), [University of South Carolina-Columbia](/colleges/university-of-south-carolina-columbia), and [Coastal Carolina University](/colleges/coastal-carolina-university) best representing the region. Interestingly, our selection of the best conference to study marine biology and biological oceanography is the Southeastern Conference with [The University of Alabama](/colleges/the-university-of-alabama), [University of South Carolina-Columbia](/colleges/university-of-south-carolina-columbia), and [Texas A & M University-College Station](/colleges/texas-a-m-university-college-station) representing the conference. Based on our comprehensive list of the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges), our selection for the best college for marine biology and biological oceanography is [University of California-Los Angeles](/colleges/university-of-california-los-angeles).

 The overall best school does not mean it is the 'best' school for every student. There are a bunch of factors to weigh when choosing college. Things such as campus amenities, transportation services, and food could definitely impact your choice on where to go to college. At Authority, we've examined the pros and cons for you. If, as an example, you are interested in which marine biology and biological oceanography university has the top campus, the answer is [Northeastern University](/colleges/northeastern-university). If you are very interested in which university is home to the top campus, we have a whole list [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through professor reviews, student reviews, government databases, and more to compare each major in an unbiased and informative way. You can explore our comprehensive list for the colleges with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbsphere and from that list, our selection of the university with the best student life for marine biology and biological oceanography is [University of California-Los Angeles](/colleges/university-of-california-los-angeles). Are you curious why? Keep scrolling to find out more about Authority's top recommendations. Some of our decisions just might shock you.

 If price is a primary influence in your decision on where to go to university, you might be cautious about [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university). [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university)&nbspis the most expensive school for marine biology and biological oceanography, at least regarding out of state attendance. That being said, we have a list of the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspuniversities that might put the price tag at [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university)&nbspinto perspective. You may also be interested to know that marine biology and biological oceanography is the 205th most expensive program in the nation, with an average cost of $29,600. On a broader scale, the most expensive state for marine biology and biological oceanography nationally is Massachusetts at Boston University, Northeastern University, and Northeastern University - - of $54,720, $52,420, and $52,420. To zoom out even further, the most costly region for marine biology and biological oceanography is the New England region which is best demonstrated with [University of New Haven](/colleges/university-of-new-haven) with a cost of $39,000, [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university) with a cost of $54,720, and [Northeastern University](/colleges/northeastern-university) with a cost of $52,420.

 Our cheapest region for marine biology and biological oceanography is the Plains region which is represented by [Northwest Missouri State University](/colleges/northwest-missouri-state-university) with a cost of $10,738. In better news, the most affordable university for marine biology and biological oceanography is [College of Charleston](/colleges/college-of-charleston). Our full list of the most affordable colleges can be found [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state attendees can expect to pay about $10,700 for a degree in marine biology and biological oceanography. The cost inflates intensely to a median of $26,800 for the out-of-state public-school undergraduate. On that note, our selection for the university with the best value for marine biology and biological oceanography: [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university). Through this link you can find our comprehensive list for the universities we believe to be the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspoverall. With that said, this list is based on the assumption that you are an out-of-state student. A discussion of value changes when in-state tuition costs are considered, as such, we are using out-of-state tuition as the baseline.

 Earnings for marine biology and biological oceanography majors can differ, but within two years graduation students will regularly earn around $43,900. There can be much variation in earnings potential; top earners can experience pay up to $84,100. Even straight out of college, the lowest earning jobs within the marine biology and biological oceanography field earn $23,100, which isn't that bad. The top earning grads from marine biology and biological oceanography studied at [Northeastern University](/colleges/northeastern-university)&nbspand if you are looking for colleges with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), we have that too.

 The general diversity of marine biology and biological oceanography is subpar, coming within the 27th percentile of all programs. The college with the most composite diversity for marine biology and biological oceanography is [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university)&nbspand here you can find our general list of the schools with the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The financial diversity of the Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography major only stands in the 46th percentile compared to all other majors. Racial diversity is even lower in the 24th percentile. White undergraduates compose the largest proportion at 73% of those studying marine biology and biological oceanography. Additionally, 71% of scholars pursuing a marine biology and biological oceanography major are women.

 We have insufficient professors data for marine biology and biological oceanography to make the conclusions we normally would have made in this sentence. As we incorporate data beyond basic rankings it becomes clear that the college with comprehensively the best instructors for marine biology and biological oceanography is [University of California-San Diego](/colleges/university-of-california-san-diego). You will find an explanation of our ever evolving ranking methodology for the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), along with many of the finest professors in the U.S.

 Finally, the hardest school to get into for marine biology and biological oceanography is [University of California-Los Angeles](/colleges/university-of-california-los-angeles). While we are unsure why you would be interested, we have a detailed page of the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). Although, here at Authority we hope you believe that looking at college with a perspective only informed by superlatives can create issues. We encourage you to look at some of our other pages on different universities and peruse some of our helpful background pages on important things to consider as you continue your university search.



 ### POPULARITY

 Marine biology and biological oceanography is the 178th most popular degree in America, with 1,490 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #179 [Human Biology](/rankings/best-colleges-for-human-biology).

 The degree is offered at a total of 79 colleges across the nation, and is the 206th most widely offered degree. It is only offered at 6% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America.

 It is also worth noting that 63% of colleges offering marine biology and biological oceanography are public making it a quite accessible field.

 The southeast produces the most marine biology and biological oceanography graduates, largely led by [University of North Carolina Wilmington](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-wilmington), while it’s the Southeastern Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, Florida ranks highest, with particular help from [Eckerd College](/colleges/eckerd-college) and [The University of Tampa](/colleges/the-university-of-tampa).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more marine biology and biological oceanography graduates than [University of Alaska Fairbanks](/colleges/university-of-alaska-fairbanks), which graduated 125 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study marine biology and biological oceanography). More students studied marine biology and biological oceanography as a percentage of total students at [University of Maine at Machias](/colleges/university-of-maine-at-machias) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Marine biology and biological oceanography is the 205th most expensive major in the nation, with a median cost of $29,579 among the top 50 programs (just ahead of #206, [Exercise Physiology](rankings/best-colleges-for-exercise-physiology), with a median cost of $29,574).

 New England has the most expensive schools with first-rate marine biology and biological oceanography programs predominantly led by [University of New Haven](/colleges/university-of-new-haven) with an annual cost of $39,000. Massachusetts is the most expensive state for marine biology and biological oceanography led by [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university) and [Northeastern University](/colleges/northeastern-university).

 Public schools with good programs typically charge 72.22% less than private schools for in-state students. When looking at out-of-state tuition however, the median top 50 Public school charges 30.58% less than your average private school. So be sure to look into public shools in your state sooner rather than later.

 The most expensive option in the top 25 is [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university), which is the 62nd most expensive college in the US. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [College of Charleston](/colleges/college-of-charleston). It costs just $70 per year, and it is its marine biology and biological oceanography program is ranked #19. Another more affordable option would be #17, [The University of West Florida](/colleges/the-university-of-west-florida) in Escambia County, FL with a cost of $4,319 for in-state students and $16,587 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Going to college is an important investment for most people. It's important to be confident you enlarge your earning power. It is our goal that the following career and earnings insights help you in deciding your major at college.

 The average Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography student earns a starting income of $36,741 per year (close to national median 54th percentile). Further into their careers, they often earn somewhere between $23,102 and $84,054, but average near $43,906. To put it in context, that's 14% more than the US' average.

 The most popular job title for a Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography graduate is Research Internship, which by and large earn near $12,000; next are Environmental Engineering Internship and Medical Laboratory Technician, which ordinarily earn close to $25,000 and $33,000 respectively.

 The Mid East has the best paid Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography graduates. MA has the most well paid Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography alumni of any state. Ivy League has the best paid Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography graduates of any conference..



### STUDENTS

 College often is a profoundly significant period in one's life; it's an occasion for personal progress and maturation. Undergrads continue to figure out who they are as people and develop many of the crucial skills to become a successful member of society. But learning goes beyond a classroom - the campus dialogue, the funny story gained from a tenured instructor, the exposure to a different view. Therefore, finding a diverse college vastly enhances what one gains from the time in college.

 Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography is a less ethnically diverse focus than average\*. 73% of the United States' Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography majors are white students, followed by latino students (10%), students of other races\*\*(9%), and asian students (4%). The most racially diverse college\* in the top 100 is [University of California-Los Angeles](/colleges/university-of-california-los-angeles) located in Los Angeles, CA.

 In addition, Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography significatly skews female, with practically seven tenths of students majoring in Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography identifying as women. The most gender balanced school in the top 100 is [Brigham Young University-Hawaii](/colleges/brigham-young-university-hawaii) in Laie, HI.

 Another important type of diversity is income diversity. Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography is around the middle of the pack for socioeconomic diversity (54th percentile). 28% of its majors come from homes that bring in over $110,000 per year, 16% are from families making between $48,000 and $75,000 a year, and 27% grew up in low income families. [Northwest Missouri State University](/colleges/northwest-missouri-state-university) is the most economically diverse institution in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall HI is the most diverse state for Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography. The Far West is the most diverse region, and the Pacific West Conference is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 4%
* Black: 4%
* Latino: 10%
* White: 73%
* Other: 9%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 29%
* Female: 71%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 27%
* 30k - 48k: 15%
* 48k - 75k: 16%
* 75k - 110k: 14%
* Over 110k: 28%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 62%
* Out of State: 32%
* International: 6%


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