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2026 Best Value Human Resources Development Schools in California

[Human Resources Development](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/human-resource-management/human-resources-development/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong human resources development education at a price that pays off.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for human resources development students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Human Resources Development Schools in California

2026 Best Value Human Resources Development Schools in California

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the human resources development degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Human Resources Development Schools

1

University Of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA

$60,522 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,935 Avg Student Debt

$89,812 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in human resources development, no school beat University Of San Francisco this year. Set in the city of San Francisco, University Of San Francisco is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $60,522 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $23,935 to complete the human resources development program here. Early-career human resources development graduates make about $127,715. That is a strong return on a $23,935 median debt. The acceptance rate is 62%.

2

Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA

$69,918 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,645 Avg Student Debt

$82,939 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Pepperdine University one of the best values for human resources development. Pepperdine University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Malibu. Students from in state pay about $69,918 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $23,645 to complete the human resources development program here. Early-career human resources development graduates make about $113,702. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 63%.

View All Human Resources Development Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 · 3 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.