2026 Best Value Asian-American Studies Schools in the Far Western Region
[Asian-American Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/ethnic-studies/asian-american-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong asian-american studies education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 14 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for asian-american studies students.
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2026 Best Value Asian-American Studies Schools in the Far Western Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in asian-american studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Asian-American Studies Schools
Stanford University earned the #1 spot for value among asian-american studies schools in the Far Western Region. Set in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,910. Asian-American Studies graduates carry a median of $10,492 in student loans. Early-career asian-american studies graduates make about $41,156. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Stanford University admits about 4% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes California State University Northridge one of the best values for asian-american studies. Located in the city of Northridge, California State University Northridge is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $7,458 in tuition and fees, compared with $20,058 for out-of-state students. Asian-American Studies graduates carry a median of $15,000 in student loans. Asian-American Studies graduates of California State University Northridge earn a median of $26,767 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 93%.
California State University Long Beach came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value asian-american studies schools. Located in the city of Long Beach, California State University Long Beach is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $7,374 in tuition and fees, compared with $19,974 for out-of-state students. Asian-American Studies graduates carry a median of $12,187 in student loans. Asian-American Studies graduates of California State University Long Beach earn a median of $27,726 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. California State University Long Beach admits about 46% of applicants.
University Of California Irvine came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value asian-american studies schools. 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, compared with $46,640 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for asian-american studies graduates is $18,998. Asian-American Studies graduates of University Of California Irvine earn a median of $26,712 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 29% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at San Francisco State University earned it the #5 place for asian-american studies. San Francisco State University is a very large public school located in the city of San Francisco. In-state tuition and fees average $7,846, compared with $20,446 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for asian-american studies graduates is $17,875. Asian-American Studies graduates of San Francisco State University earn a median of $31,001 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $17,875 median debt. The acceptance rate is 96%.
University Of California Riverside came in at #6 for value in asian-american studies this year. Set in the city of Riverside, University Of California Riverside is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,636, with out-of-state students paying around $46,524. Asian-American Studies graduates carry a median of $23,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, asian-american studies degree recipients from University Of California Riverside generally make around $40,040. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 76%.
University Of California Santa Barbara came in at #7 for value in asian-american studies this year. University Of California Santa Barbara is a very large public school located in the suburb of Santa Barbara. Students from in state pay about $15,444 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $47,332. Typical student debt for asian-american studies graduates is $13,500. Asian-American Studies graduates of University Of California Santa Barbara earn a median of $32,341 early in their careers. Set against $13,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 33%.
University Of California Los Angeles came in at #8 for value in asian-american studies this year. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,233, compared with $46,121 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for asian-american studies graduates is $15,000. Early-career asian-american studies graduates make about $37,581. That is a strong return on a $15,000 median debt. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
University Of California Berkeley ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value asian-american studies schools. Located in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $15,377, compared with $47,265 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $15,740 to complete the asian-american studies program here. Early-career asian-american studies graduates make about $70,847. Set against $15,740 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of California Berkeley admits about 11% of applicants.
University Of California Davis came in at #10 for value in asian-american studies this year. Located in the suburb of Davis, University Of California Davis is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,804, compared with $47,692 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $14,155 to complete the asian-american studies program here. Asian-American Studies graduates of University Of California Davis earn a median of $32,563 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $14,155 median debt. University Of California Davis admits about 42% of applicants.
University Of Southern California placed #11 among the best values for asian-american studies. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $71,647. Students borrow a median of $21,500 to complete the asian-american studies program here. Asian-American Studies graduates of University Of Southern California earn a median of $75,677 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,500 median debt. University Of Southern California admits about 10% 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 · 14 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.
