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2026 Best Value Occupational Therapist Assistant Bachelor’s Degree Schools

[Occupational Therapist Assistant](/majors/health-care-professions/allied-health-medical-assisting-services/occupational-therapist-assistant/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

College Factual analyzed 246 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value occupational therapist assistant schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Occupational Therapist Assistant Schools
• Other Degree Levels

2026 Best Value Occupational Therapist Assistant Schools in the United States

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the occupational therapist assistant degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Occupational Therapist Assistant Schools

1

Santa Ana College
Santa Ana, CA

$1,180 In-State Tuition & Fees

$12,368 Avg Student Debt

$43,552 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in occupational therapist assistant, no school beat Santa Ana College this year. Located in the city of Santa Ana, Santa Ana College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $1,180 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $10,756. Typical student debt for occupational therapist assistant graduates is $12,368. Occupational Therapist Assistant graduates of Santa Ana College earn a median of $28,444 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.

2

University Of Missouri Columbia
Columbia, MO

$14,837 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,818 Avg Student Debt

$63,403 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Missouri Columbia is a great value for students pursuing a degree in occupational therapist assistant, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Columbia, University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $14,837 in tuition and fees, compared with $36,056 for out-of-state students. Occupational Therapist Assistant graduates carry a median of $21,818 in student loans. Early-career occupational therapist assistant graduates make about $53,134. That is a strong return on a $21,818 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.

Other Occupational Therapist Assistant Degree Levels

Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value Occupational Therapist Assistant rankings across degree levels:

View All Occupational Therapist Assistant Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced 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 · 246 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.