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
Leading the list is California Baptist University, our #1 best value for value in California. Located in the city of Riverside, California Baptist University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $41,228. Students borrow a median of $28,169 to complete the value program here. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from California Baptist University generally make around $51,999. Set against $28,169 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. California Baptist University admits about 85% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Southern California earned it the #2 place for value. 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. Value graduates carry a median of $15,625 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $75,677. That is a strong return on a $15,625 median debt. Roughly 10% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 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.
[Value](/majors/engineering/electrical-and-computer-engineering/general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong value education at a price that pays off.
