College Rankings
Best Natural Sciences Schools
All 11 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate Natural Sciences degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.
Is Natural Sciences worth it?
It can be, but only if you are ruthless about keeping your borrowing to an absolute minimum. Because this is a generalist degree, graduates rarely command the premium entry-level salaries seen in specialized fields like chemical engineering or computer science. The bachelor's degree often leads to modest-paying bench technician or education roles, meaning the financial math only works if you attend a heavily subsidized public university or an elite private college with deep financial aid pockets. Paying a steep sticker price for a broad science degree is a massive financial risk, as the debt will easily outpace your early-career earning power.
| # | School | State | Median earnings | Net price / yr | 10-yr net ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | MA | $69,242 | $19,066 | +$616K |
| 2 | California State University-Los Angeles | CA | $39,870 | $3,967† | +$383K |
| 3 | Temple University | PA | $45,910 | $28,198† | +$346K |
| 4 | Dominican University | IL | $27,081 | $11,745 | +$224K |
| 5 | Daemen University | NY | $6,394 | $18,693 | −$11K |
| 6 | Kansas State University | KS | $28,107 | $19,406† | +$203K |
| 7 | Loyola Marymount University | CA | $33,647 | $48,381 | +$143K |
| 8 | Christian Brothers University | TN | $33,145 | $9,854 | +$292K |
| 9 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro | PR | $30,631 | $9,788 | +$267K |
| 10 | Harrisburg University of Science and Technology | PA | $22,252 | $15,376 | +$161K |
| 11 | University of Puerto Rico at Cayey | PR | $11,821 | $10,176† | +$78K |
Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI
Why these schools rank where they do
Harvard University takes the top spot not just because of its brand, but because of the economic ecosystem attached to it. Undergraduates in the sciences have direct pipelines into the densest biotech and medical research hub on the planet, securing early placements at the Broad Institute, Mass General, and Dana-Farber. Combined with an endowment that drastically reduces the net price for most families, graduates enter the workforce or elite medical programs with minimal debt and premium earning power.
The more fascinating story is California State University-Los Angeles claiming the second spot, beating out a slew of expensive private institutions. Cal State LA wins through sheer geographic and economic efficiency. It charges a fraction of what private universities demand while sitting in the heart of Southern California's massive healthcare and environmental science economy. Its graduates feed directly into regional clinical labs, hospital networks, and state agencies without the crushing burden of heavy student loans.
Conversely, the data shows exactly why paying a premium for this degree is dangerous. Private institutions like Daemen University and Loyola Marymount University tumble down the rankings. It isn't that these schools lack academic rigor; it's that the typical entry-level salary for a general science graduate simply cannot support the debt loads required to finance an expensive private-school education. When the degree leads to the same regional laboratory jobs as the local state college, the school charging the highest tuition inevitably traps its alumni in a poor financial position.
What is Natural Sciences?
Natural Sciences is an interdisciplinary major that weaves together biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science rather than forcing students into a single academic silo. Graduates typically spend their days running assays in clinical laboratories, managing environmental testing sites, teaching high school science, or working in quality control for regional biotech and manufacturing firms.
Frequently asked questions
Should I major in Natural Sciences or a specific science like Biology or Chemistry?
If you want to be a research scientist or work in a highly technical industry role, specialize. Employers hiring for pharmaceutical development want chemists; wildlife agencies want biologists. The broad Natural Sciences major is best suited for future science educators, science communicators, or pre-health students who need to efficiently check off a wide variety of medical or dental school prerequisites.
Can I get a good job with just a bachelor's degree?
You can find steady work as a laboratory technician, environmental sampler, or quality assurance inspector. However, upward mobility in the sciences usually requires further education. Many students use this major as a low-debt launchpad for a master's degree, a teaching credential, or allied health programs like physical therapy or physician assistant school.
Why do so few schools offer or report this specific major?
Most universities structure their science departments around traditional, distinct disciplines. Schools that maintain a dedicated "Natural Sciences" bachelor's usually do so to serve specific interdisciplinary cohorts, such as students in specialized pre-medical tracks, adult degree-completion programs, or joint bachelor's-to-teaching-credential pipelines.