2026 Best Value Epidemiology Schools in California
[Epidemiology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/ecology-evolution-systematics-population-biology/epidemiology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for epidemiology students.
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2026 Best Value Epidemiology Schools in California
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the epidemiology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Epidemiology Schools
University Of California San Diego earned the #1 spot for value among epidemiology schools in California. Set in the city of La Jolla, University Of California San Diego is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,788 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $47,676. Students borrow a median of $18,834 to complete the epidemiology program here. Soon after graduation, epidemiology degree recipients from University Of California San Diego generally make around $40,677. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 27% of applicants are accepted.
Stanford University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in epidemiology, landing the #2 spot this year. Stanford University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Stanford. In-state tuition and fees average $65,910. Typical student debt for epidemiology graduates is $10,492. Epidemiology graduates of Stanford University earn a median of $100,827 early in their careers. Set against $10,492 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Stanford University admits about 4% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in epidemiology will find it at University Of California Irvine, which ranked #3. University Of California Irvine is a very large public school located in the city of Irvine. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,752, with out-of-state students paying around $46,640. Students borrow a median of $16,539 to complete the epidemiology program here. Early-career epidemiology graduates make about $50,958. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of California Irvine admits about 29% of applicants.
University Of California Los Angeles is a great value for students pursuing a degree in epidemiology, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,233, compared with $46,121 for out-of-state students. Epidemiology graduates carry a median of $17,417 in student loans. Soon after graduation, epidemiology degree recipients from University Of California Los Angeles generally make around $18,728. Set against $17,417 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
University Of California Davis is a great value for students pursuing a degree in epidemiology, landing the #5 spot this year. University Of California Davis is a very large public school located in the suburb of Davis. Students from in state pay about $15,804 in tuition and fees, compared with $47,692 for out-of-state students. Epidemiology graduates carry a median of $19,951 in student loans. Epidemiology graduates of University Of California Davis earn a median of $32,161 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,951 median debt. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
California Baptist University placed #6 among the best values for epidemiology. Located in the city of Riverside, California Baptist University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,228. Typical student debt for epidemiology graduates is $28,169. Epidemiology graduates of California Baptist University earn a median of $51,999 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $28,169 median debt. California Baptist University admits about 85% of applicants.
University Of Southern California ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value epidemiology schools. University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. In-state tuition and fees average $71,647. Epidemiology graduates carry a median of $15,625 in student loans. Early-career epidemiology graduates make about $75,677. Set against $15,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Southern California admits about 10% of applicants.
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 · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.
