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2026 Best Value Value Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Value Schools
For return on investment in value, no school beat California Maritime Academy this year. Set in the city of Vallejo, California Maritime Academy is a small public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,559, with out-of-state students paying around $22,159. Students borrow a median of $25,359 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of California Maritime Academy earn a median of $98,661 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. California Maritime Academy admits about 95% of applicants.
Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 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.
ADBLOCK #116
[Value](/majors/engineering-technologies/mechanical-engineering-technology/marine-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
