2026 Best Value Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools in California
[Clinical Nurse Specialist](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/clinical-nurse-specialist/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong clinical nurse specialist education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for clinical nurse specialist students.
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2026 Best Value Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in clinical nurse specialist, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools
Leading the list is California State University Dominguez Hills, our #1 best value for clinical nurse specialist in California. Set in the city of Carson, California State University Dominguez Hills is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,454, compared with $20,054 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $18,750 to complete the clinical nurse specialist program here. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse specialist degree recipients from California State University Dominguez Hills generally make around $52,683. Set against $18,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
Mount St Marys College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in clinical nurse specialist, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Mount St Marys College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $49,564. Students borrow a median of $25,167 to complete the clinical nurse specialist program here. Clinical Nurse Specialist graduates of Mount St Marys College earn a median of $82,213 early in their careers. Set against $25,167 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 73%.
Students looking for strong value in clinical nurse specialist will find it at University Of San Francisco, which ranked #3. University Of San Francisco is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $60,522. Clinical Nurse Specialist graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse specialist degree recipients from University Of San Francisco generally make around $127,760. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of San Francisco admits about 62% of applicants.
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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 · 4 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.
