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2026 Best Value Demography & Population Studies Schools in California

[Demography & Population Studies](/majors/social-sciences/demography-population-studies/demography-and-population-studies/) 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.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for demography & population studies students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Demography & Population Studies Schools in California

2026 Best Value Demography & Population Studies Schools in California

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the demography & population studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Demography & Population Studies Schools

1

University Of California Irvine
Irvine, CA

$14,752 In-State Tuition & Fees

$16,539 Avg Student Debt

$80,735 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked University Of California Irvine the best value for a degree in demography & population studies in California. Set in the city of Irvine, University Of California Irvine is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,752 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $46,640. Demography & Population Studies graduates carry a median of $16,539 in student loans. Early-career demography & population studies graduates make about $50,958. That is a strong return on a $16,539 median debt. Roughly 29% of applicants are accepted.

2

University Of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA

$60,522 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,935 Avg Student Debt

$89,812 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of San Francisco is a great value for students pursuing a degree in demography & population studies, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of San Francisco, University Of San Francisco is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $60,522. Students borrow a median of $23,935 to complete the demography & population studies program here. Soon after graduation, demography & population studies degree recipients from University Of San Francisco generally make around $65,223. Set against $23,935 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 62%.

View All Demography & Population Studies Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 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.