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Most Popular Schools for Marine Science

2026 Most Popular Marine Science Schools

There are 41 colleges that offer a degree in Marine Science. Ranked by yearly graduations, here are the most popular below:

Finding the Best Marine Science School for You

Today’s Marine Science students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You can choose a traditional brick-and-mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school halfway across the country without even leaving your house.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular Marine Science Schools ranking. This report analyzed 41 schools in the United States to see which Marine Science programs were the most popular. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for Marine Science majors.

Our 2026 rankings named California State University-Monterey Bay the most popular school in the U.S. for Marine Science majors. California State University-Monterey Bay is a public school located in Seaside, CA. This school awarded 108 degrees in Marine Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $38,154. Read full report on Marine Science at California State University-Monterey Bay

#2

University of Maine

Orono, ME

University of Maine landed the #2 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Marine Science Schools ranking. University of Maine is a public school located in Orono, ME. During the most recent year for which we have data, 71 people earned their degree in Marine Science from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $43,355. Read More…

#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

University of Florida landed the #3 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Marine Science Schools ranking. Located in Gainesville, FL, this is a public institution. This school awarded 38 degrees in Marine Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $48,898. Read full report on Marine Science at University of Florida

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo comes in at #4 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Marine Science majors. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is a public school located in San Luis Obispo, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 24 people earned their degree in Marine Science from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $62,831. Read full report on Marine Science at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

#5

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, NY

Stony Brook University comes in at #5 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Marine Science majors. Stony Brook University is a public school located in Stony Brook, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 22 people earned their degree in Marine Science from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $51,412. Read full report on Marine Science at Stony Brook University

University of California-Davis comes in at #6 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Marine Science majors. University of California-Davis is a public school located in Davis, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 19 people earned their degree in Marine Science from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $41,123. Read More…

College of Micronesia-FSM landed the #7 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Marine Science Schools ranking. College of Micronesia-FSM is a public school located in Pohnpei, FM. This school awarded 16 degrees in Marine Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669. Read full report on Marine Science at College of Micronesia-FSM

#8

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL

Florida Atlantic University comes in at #8 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Marine Science majors. Florida Atlantic University is a public school located in Boca Raton, FL. During the most recent year for which we have data, 15 people earned their degree in Marine Science from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $41,482. Full Marine Science at Florida Atlantic University Report

Hawaii Pacific University landed the #9 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Marine Science Schools ranking. Hawaii Pacific University is a private nonprofit school located in Honolulu, HI. During the most recent year for which we have data, 14 people earned their degree in Marine Science from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $47,103. Read full report on Marine Science at Hawaii Pacific University

#10

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco State University landed the #10 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Marine Science Schools ranking. Located in San Francisco, CA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 14 degrees in Marine Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $41,145. Full Marine Science at San Francisco State University Report

#11

Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA

Western Washington University comes in at #11 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Marine Science majors. Located in Bellingham, WA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 14 degrees in Marine Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $35,723. Read More…

Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi landed the #12 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Marine Science Schools ranking. Located in Corpus Christi, TX, this is a public institution. This school awarded 12 degrees in Marine Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $46,538. Read More…

The University of Texas at Austin comes in at #13 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Marine Science majors. Located in Austin, TX, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 11 people earned their degree in Marine Science from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $51,060. Read More…

#14

University of Georgia

Athens, GA

University of Georgia landed the #14 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Marine Science Schools ranking. Located in Athens, GA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 11 degrees in Marine Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,074. Full Marine Science at University of Georgia Report

University of South Alabama landed the #15 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Marine Science Schools ranking. Located in Mobile, AL, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 11 people earned their degree in Marine Science from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $46,120. Full Marine Science at University of South Alabama Report

#16

Oregon State University

Corvallis, OR

Oregon State University comes in at #16 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Marine Science majors. Located in Corvallis, OR, this is a public institution. This school awarded 8 degrees in Marine Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $47,459. Full Marine Science at Oregon State University Report

#17

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA

San Jose State University comes in at #17 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Marine Science majors. San Jose State University is a public school located in San Jose, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 8 people earned their degree in Marine Science from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $58,993. Read More…

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #18 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Marine Science Schools ranking. Located in Edinburg, TX, this is a public institution. This school awarded 8 degrees in Marine Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $34,758. Read More…

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth comes in at #19 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Marine Science majors. Located in North Dartmouth, MA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 8 degrees in Marine Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $50,652. Read More…

#20

St. Mary's College of Maryland

St. Mary's City, MD

St. Mary's College of Maryland comes in at #20 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Marine Science majors. St. Mary's College of Maryland is a public school located in St. Mary's City, MD. This school awarded 7 degrees in Marine Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $30,856. Full Marine Science at St. Mary's College of Maryland Report

Texas A&M University-College Station landed the #21 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Marine Science Schools ranking. Located in College Station, TX, this is a public institution. This school awarded 6 degrees in Marine Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $54,018. Read More…

University of Alaska Anchorage comes in at #22 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Marine Science majors. Located in Anchorage, AK, this is a public institution. This school awarded 6 degrees in Marine Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $51,493. Read More…

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus landed the #23 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Marine Science Schools ranking. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus is a public school located in Atlanta, GA. This school awarded 5 degrees in Marine Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $87,556. Read full report on Marine Science at Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Ohio State University-Main Campus comes in at #24 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Marine Science majors. Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public school located in Columbus, OH. During the most recent year for which we have data, 5 people earned their degree in Marine Science from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $49,087. Read More…

The College of the Florida Keys comes in at #25 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Marine Science majors. The College of the Florida Keys is a public school located in Key West, FL. This school awarded 5 degrees in Marine Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $42,669. Full Marine Science at The College of the Florida Keys Report

#26

Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME
#29

Rowan University

Glassboro, NJ
#35

Cape Fear Community College

Wilmington, NC
#36

Eckerd College

Saint Petersburg, FL
#37

Juniata College

Huntingdon, PA
#38

Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, FL
#41

University of Rhode Island

Kingston, RI

Marine Science by Region

View the Most Popular Marine Science Schools ranking for a specific region near you.

Region
New England
Middle Atlantic
Great Lakes
Plains States
Southeast
Southwest
Rocky Mountains
Far Western US

More Marine Science Rankings

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this Most Popular Marine Science Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Marine Science Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Marine Sciences 482
Related Major Annual Graduates
Other Interdisciplinary Studies 30,141
Biological & Physical Science 28,033
Data Analytics 12,891
Interdisciplinary Studies 10,355
Data Science 7,716

References

*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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