Best Schools for Natural Sciences in 2026

11 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Natural Sciences, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Natural Sciences graduate earns $31,645/yr across 11 schools.

Programs Ranked
11
Avg Earnings
$31,645/yr
Avg DW Score
42/100
AI Risk
Moderate
35% task exposure

All Natural Sciences Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

# Program DW Score Earnings AI Risk ROI
1 Natural Sciences
California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA
59
58–58
$39,870/yr Moderate 13.6x
2 Natural Sciences
Harvard University · Cambridge, MA
52
51–52
$69,242/yr Moderate 1.9x
3 Natural Sciences
Temple University · Philadelphia, PA
50
49–51
$45,910/yr Moderate 5.5x
4 Natural Sciences
Kansas State University · Manhattan, KS
45
39–51
$28,107/yr Moderate 14.0x
5 Natural Sciences
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro · San Juan, PR
51
51–50
$30,631/yr Moderate 12.7x
6 Natural Sciences
University of Puerto Rico at Cayey · Cayey, PR
41
34–48
$11,821/yr Moderate 13.8x
7 Natural Sciences
Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA
36
32–41
$33,647/yr Moderate 2.8x
8 Natural Sciences
Christian Brothers University · Memphis, TN
36
34–36
$33,145/yr Moderate 2.0x
9 Natural Sciences
Dominican University · River Forest, IL
33
29–37
$27,081/yr Moderate 3.3x
10 Natural Sciences
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology · Harrisburg, PA
32
29–35
$22,252/yr Moderate 3.8x
11 Natural Sciences
Daemen University · Amherst, NY
31
23–49
$6,394/yr Moderate 4.2x

Methodology

Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Natural Sciences?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score, California State University-Los Angeles ranks #1 for Natural Sciences with a score of 59/100 and graduate earnings of $39,870/yr.
How much do Natural Sciences graduates earn?
Across 11 schools, Natural Sciences graduates earn an average of $31,645/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $69,242/yr.
Is Natural Sciences a good major for AI resistance?
Natural Sciences has an average AI task exposure of 35%, rated "Moderate". This field has moderate AI exposure — some career paths are more resilient than others.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.