2027 Best Value Value Schools in California
[Value](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/food-science-technology/viticulture-and-enology/) 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.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for value students.
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2027 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
For return on investment in value, no school beat Santa Rosa Junior College this year. Set in the city of Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa Junior College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,318, with out-of-state students paying around $11,308. Value graduates carry a median of $14,692 in student loans. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Santa Rosa Junior College generally make around $80,047. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in value will find it at California State University Fresno, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Fresno, California State University Fresno is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,341, with out-of-state students paying around $19,941. Value graduates carry a median of $16,500 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $45,796. Set against $16,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of California Davis earned it the #3 place for value. Set in the suburb of Davis, University Of California Davis is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,804, while out-of-state students pay about $47,692. Typical student debt for value graduates is $14,750. Early-career value graduates make about $53,749. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value value schools. Set in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,161, compared with $33,230 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for value graduates is $20,654. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo generally make around $52,240. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo admits about 31% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 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.
