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2026 Best Value Research and Development Management Schools in California

[Research and Development Management](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/business-administration-and-management/research-and-development-management/) 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 2 schools to find the best return on investment for research and development management students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Research and Development Management Schools in California

2026 Best Value Research and Development Management Schools in California

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in research and development management, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Research and Development Management Schools

1

Ashford University
San Diego, CA

$11,960 In-State Tuition & Fees

$35,861 Avg Student Debt

$35,404 Median Earnings (10yr)

Ashford University tops our 2026 list of the best value research and development management schools in California. Ashford University is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of San Diego. In-state tuition and fees average $11,960. Research And Development Management graduates carry a median of $35,861 in student loans. Early-career research and development management graduates make about $67,902. That is a strong return on a $35,861 median debt.

2

University Of San Diego
San Diego, CA

$59,486 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,250 Avg Student Debt

$86,522 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of San Diego came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value research and development management schools. Located in the city of San Diego, University Of San Diego is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $59,486. Research And Development Management graduates carry a median of $22,250 in student loans. Soon after graduation, research and development management degree recipients from University Of San Diego generally make around $78,382. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 52% of applicants are accepted.

View All Research and Development Management Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.