2026 Best Value General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools in California
[General Family & Consumer Sciences](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/general-family-consumer-sciences/) 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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 17 schools to find the best return on investment for general family & consumer sciences students.
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2026 Best Value General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general family & consumer sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools
Our analysis ranked Shasta College the best value for a degree in general family & consumer sciences in California. Shasta College is a large public school located in the suburb of Redding. Students from in state pay about $1,197 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $8,853. General Family & Consumer Sciences graduates carry a median of $12,275 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general family & consumer sciences degree recipients from Shasta College generally make around $50,330. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in general family & consumer sciences will find it at California State University Northridge, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Northridge, California State University Northridge is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,458, with out-of-state students paying around $20,058. Students borrow a median of $17,000 to complete the general family & consumer sciences program here. Early-career general family & consumer sciences graduates make about $33,721. Set against $17,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
California State University Long Beach came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value general family & consumer sciences schools. Located in the city of Long Beach, California State University Long Beach is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,374, with out-of-state students paying around $19,974. Students borrow a median of $12,906 to complete the general family & consumer sciences program here. General Family & Consumer Sciences graduates of California State University Long Beach earn a median of $32,008 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,906 median debt. The acceptance rate is 46%.
A rank of #4 makes California State University Sacramento one of the best values for general family & consumer sciences. Located in the city of Sacramento, California State University Sacramento is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $8,018, while out-of-state students pay about $20,618. Typical student debt for general family & consumer sciences graduates is $14,108. General Family & Consumer Sciences graduates of California State University Sacramento earn a median of $33,869 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $14,108 median debt. California State University Sacramento admits about 94% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at San Francisco State University earned it the #5 place for general family & consumer sciences. Set in the city of San Francisco, San Francisco State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,846, while out-of-state students pay about $20,446. General Family & Consumer Sciences graduates carry a median of $17,212 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general family & consumer sciences degree recipients from San Francisco State University generally make around $35,977. Set against $17,212 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 96%.
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 · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
