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2026 Best Value Value Schools in California

1 Colleges in the United States
$25,359 Avg Student Debt
$94,784 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value Value Badge [Value](/majors/engineering-technologies/mechanical-engineering-technology/marine-engineering/) 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.

College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value value schools.

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2026 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

1

For return on investment in value, no school beat California Maritime Academy this year. Set in the city of Vallejo, California Maritime Academy is a small public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,559, with out-of-state students paying around $22,159. Students borrow a median of $25,359 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of California Maritime Academy earn a median of $98,661 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. California Maritime Academy admits about 95% of applicants.

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Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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