2026 Best Value General Sales & Marketing Schools in California
[General Sales & Marketing](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/sales-merchandising-marketing-ops/) 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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 73 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general sales & marketing students.
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2026 Best Value General Sales & Marketing Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general sales & marketing, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Sales & Marketing Schools
Cerritos College tops our 2026 list of the best value general sales & marketing schools in California. Set in the suburb of Norwalk, Cerritos College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,364, while out-of-state students pay about $12,004. General Sales & Marketing graduates carry a median of $11,306 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general sales & marketing degree recipients from Cerritos College generally make around $29,495. That is a strong return on a $11,306 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in general sales & marketing will find it at College Of The Canyons, which ranked #2. College Of The Canyons is a very large public school located in the suburb of Santa Clarita. Students from in state pay about $1,166 in tuition and fees, compared with $10,958 for out-of-state students. General Sales & Marketing graduates carry a median of $9,776 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general sales & marketing degree recipients from College Of The Canyons generally make around $51,913. That is a strong return on a $9,776 median debt.
Fresno City College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general sales & marketing, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Fresno, Fresno City College is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,378, while out-of-state students pay about $8,638. Typical student debt for general sales & marketing graduates is $7,234. Soon after graduation, general sales & marketing degree recipients from Fresno City College generally make around $37,470. Set against $7,234 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Ventura College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general sales & marketing, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Ventura, Ventura College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,426, compared with $9,615 for out-of-state students. General Sales & Marketing graduates carry a median of $20,250 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general sales & marketing degree recipients from Ventura College generally make around $99,778. That is a strong return on a $20,250 median debt.
Saddleback College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value general sales & marketing schools. Located in the suburb of Mission Viejo, Saddleback College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $1,432 in tuition and fees, compared with $14,812 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general sales & marketing graduates is $5,707. Early-career general sales & marketing graduates make about $15,890. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Mt San Antonio College placed #6 among the best values for general sales & marketing. Located in the suburb of Walnut, Mt San Antonio College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $1,364, with out-of-state students paying around $10,464. General Sales & Marketing graduates carry a median of $9,384 in student loans. Early-career general sales & marketing graduates make about $44,391. That is a strong return on a $9,384 median debt.
Pasadena City College came in at #7 for value in general sales & marketing this year. Pasadena City College is a very large public school located in the city of Pasadena. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,180, with out-of-state students paying around $10,924. Students borrow a median of $9,191 to complete the general sales & marketing program here. Soon after graduation, general sales & marketing degree recipients from Pasadena City College generally make around $38,841. That is a strong return on a $9,191 median debt.
Santa Monica College came in at #8 for value in general sales & marketing this year. Set in the city of Santa Monica, Santa Monica College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $1,156, while out-of-state students pay about $10,708. Median earnings reach $42,193 ten years out.
De Anza College placed #9 among the best values for general sales & marketing. Located in the city of Cupertino, De Anza College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $1,571, with out-of-state students paying around $12,596. Typical student debt for general sales & marketing graduates is $7,271. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $56,596. Set against $7,271 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Allan Hancock College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value general sales & marketing schools. Located in the city of Santa Maria, Allan Hancock College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,156, while out-of-state students pay about $9,892. Median earnings reach $42,786 ten years out.
Orange Coast College ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value general sales & marketing schools. Set in the city of Costa Mesa, Orange Coast College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,392, while out-of-state students pay about $11,640. Typical student debt for general sales & marketing graduates is $8,978. Early-career general sales & marketing graduates make about $46,306. That is a strong return on a $8,978 median debt.
Long Beach City College ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value general sales & marketing schools. Set in the city of Long Beach, Long Beach City College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,556, with out-of-state students paying around $12,544. General Sales & Marketing graduates carry a median of $6,000 in student loans. Graduates go on to earn a median of $38,870 ten years after entry. That is a strong return on a $6,000 median debt.
Santa Rosa Junior College placed #13 among the best values for general sales & marketing. Santa Rosa Junior College is a very large public school located in the city of Santa Rosa. In-state tuition and fees average $1,318, while out-of-state students pay about $11,308. General Sales & Marketing graduates carry a median of $14,692 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general sales & marketing degree recipients from Santa Rosa Junior College generally make around $80,047. Set against $14,692 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Diablo Valley College landed the #14 spot for general sales & marketing value this year. Set in the suburb of Pleasant Hill, Diablo Valley College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $1,312 in tuition and fees, compared with $10,320 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general sales & marketing graduates is $9,205. General Sales & Marketing graduates of Diablo Valley College earn a median of $27,813 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,205 median debt.
Miracosta College placed #15 among the best values for general sales & marketing. Set in the suburb of Oceanside, Miracosta College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,158, with out-of-state students paying around $9,750. Median earnings reach $43,845 ten years out.
City College Of San Francisco landed the #16 spot for general sales & marketing value this year. City College Of San Francisco is a very large public school located in the city of San Francisco. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $1,696, with out-of-state students paying around $14,656. Typical student debt for general sales & marketing graduates is $10,332. Early-career general sales & marketing graduates make about $100,031. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Los Angeles City College came in at #17 for value in general sales & marketing this year. Set in the city of Los Angeles, Los Angeles City College is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $1,238, compared with $10,572 for out-of-state students. General Sales & Marketing graduates carry a median of $10,763 in student loans. General Sales & Marketing graduates of Los Angeles City College earn a median of $83,699 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Coastline Community College came in at #18 for value in general sales & marketing this year. Set in the city of Fountain Valley, Coastline Community College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,364, with out-of-state students paying around $11,612. Graduates go on to earn a median of $44,483 ten years after entry.
Santa Barbara City College landed the #19 spot for general sales & marketing value this year. Santa Barbara City College is a large public school located in the city of Santa Barbara. In-state tuition and fees average $1,240, with out-of-state students paying around $10,432. Typical student debt for general sales & marketing graduates is $21,090. Early-career general sales & marketing graduates make about $68,184. Set against $21,090 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
San Jose City College came in at #20 for value in general sales & marketing this year. Set in the city of San Jose, San Jose City College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $1,366, while out-of-state students pay about $11,922. General Sales & Marketing graduates of San Jose City College earn a median of $23,253 early in their careers.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 73 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
