2026 Best Value Entrepreneurship Schools in California
[Entrepreneurship](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/entrepreneurial-studies/entrepreneurship/) 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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 19 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for entrepreneurship students.
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2026 Best Value Entrepreneurship Schools in California
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the entrepreneurship degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Entrepreneurship Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of California Irvine the best value for a degree in entrepreneurship in California. Located in the city of Irvine, University Of California Irvine is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,752, with out-of-state students paying around $46,640. Entrepreneurship graduates carry a median of $16,539 in student loans. Soon after graduation, entrepreneurship degree recipients from University Of California Irvine generally make around $50,958. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of California Irvine admits about 29% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Ashford University one of the best values for entrepreneurship. Ashford University is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of San Diego. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,960. Students borrow a median of $46,438 to complete the entrepreneurship program here. Entrepreneurship graduates of Ashford University earn a median of $40,890 early in their careers. Set against $46,438 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The Masters College And Seminary earned it the #3 place for entrepreneurship. Set in the suburb of Santa Clarita, The Masters College And Seminary is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $39,020. Students borrow a median of $22,089 to complete the entrepreneurship program here. Soon after graduation, entrepreneurship degree recipients from The Masters College And Seminary generally make around $41,502. That is a strong return on a $22,089 median debt. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
University Of San Francisco is a great value for students pursuing a degree in entrepreneurship, landing the #4 spot this year. 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. Typical student debt for entrepreneurship graduates is $22,812. Entrepreneurship graduates of University Of San Francisco earn a median of $53,276 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of San Francisco admits about 62% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Loyola Marymount University one of the best values for entrepreneurship. Loyola Marymount University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. In-state tuition and fees average $61,867. Students borrow a median of $20,500 to complete the entrepreneurship program here. Early-career entrepreneurship graduates make about $52,935. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 45%.
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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 · 19 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.
