2026 Best Value General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools in the Far Western Region
[General Family & Consumer Sciences](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/general-family-consumer-sciences/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 20 schools to find the best return on investment for general family & consumer sciences students.
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2026 Best Value General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools in the Far Western Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general family & consumer sciences degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools
Our analysis ranked Shasta College the best value for a degree in general family & consumer sciences in the Far Western Region. Located in the suburb of Redding, Shasta College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $1,197, while out-of-state students pay about $8,853. Typical student debt for general family & consumer sciences graduates is $12,275. Early-career general family & consumer sciences graduates make about $50,330. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in general family & consumer sciences will find it at California State University Northridge, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Northridge, California State University Northridge is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,458, compared with $20,058 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $17,000 to complete the general family & consumer sciences program here. Soon after graduation, general family & consumer sciences degree recipients from California State University Northridge generally make around $33,721. That is a strong return on a $17,000 median debt. California State University Northridge admits about 93% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at California State University Long Beach earned it the #3 place for general family & consumer sciences. California State University Long Beach is a very large public school located in the city of Long Beach. Students from in state pay about $7,374 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $19,974. Typical student debt for general family & consumer sciences graduates is $12,906. Early-career general family & consumer sciences graduates make about $32,008. That is a strong return on a $12,906 median debt. Roughly 46% of applicants are accepted.
California State University Sacramento came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value general family & consumer sciences schools. Located in the city of Sacramento, California State University Sacramento is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,018, with out-of-state students paying around $20,618. Students borrow a median of $14,108 to complete the general family & consumer sciences program here. Soon after graduation, general family & consumer sciences degree recipients from California State University Sacramento generally make around $33,869. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. California State University Sacramento admits about 94% of applicants.
San Francisco State University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value general family & consumer sciences schools. San Francisco State University is a very large public school located in the city of San Francisco. Students from in state pay about $7,846 in tuition and fees, compared with $20,446 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general family & consumer sciences graduates is $17,212. Early-career general family & consumer sciences graduates make about $35,977. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. San Francisco State University admits about 96% of applicants.
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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 · 20 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
