2026 Best Value Educational Assessment Schools in California
[Educational Assessment](/majors/education/educational-assessment/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for educational assessment students.
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2026 Best Value Educational Assessment Schools in California
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the educational assessment degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Educational Assessment Schools
Stanford University tops our 2026 list of the best value educational assessment schools in California. 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. Students borrow a median of $10,492 to complete the educational assessment program here. Soon after graduation, educational assessment degree recipients from Stanford University generally make around $100,827. Set against $10,492 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in educational assessment will find it at University Of California Irvine, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Irvine, University Of California Irvine is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $14,752, while out-of-state students pay about $46,640. Typical student debt for educational assessment graduates is $16,539. Educational Assessment graduates of University Of California Irvine earn a median of $50,958 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of California Irvine admits about 29% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes University Of California Santa Cruz one of the best values for educational assessment. Set in the city of Santa Cruz, University Of California Santa Cruz is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,035, compared with $46,923 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $18,559 to complete the educational assessment program here. Soon after graduation, educational assessment degree recipients from University Of California Santa Cruz generally make around $59,351. That is a strong return on a $18,559 median debt. University Of California Santa Cruz admits about 66% of applicants.
National University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value educational assessment schools. National University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Diego. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,284. Typical student debt for educational assessment graduates is $30,426. Soon after graduation, educational assessment degree recipients from National University generally make around $69,080. That is a strong return on a $30,426 median debt.
University Of Southern California came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value educational assessment schools. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $71,647. Typical student debt for educational assessment graduates is $15,625. Educational Assessment graduates of University Of Southern California earn a median of $91,029 early in their careers. Set against $15,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 10% of applicants are accepted.
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 · 10 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.
