2026 Best Value Value Schools in California
[Value](/majors/psychology/clinical-counseling-applied-psychology/performance-and-sport/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong value education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.
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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
Leading the list is California Baptist University, our #1 best value for value in California. California Baptist University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Riverside. In-state tuition and fees average $41,228. Students borrow a median of $28,169 to complete the value program here. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from California Baptist University generally make around $55,299. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
National University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in value, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of San Diego, National University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,284. Students borrow a median of $30,426 to complete the value program here. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from National University generally make around $57,834. That is a strong return on a $30,426 median debt.
A rank of #3 makes Dominican University Of California one of the best values for value. Dominican University Of California is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Rafael. Students from in state pay about $52,161 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the value program here. Early-career value graduates make about $34,509. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 6 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.
