by our College Data Analytics Team
[Alternative Medicine & Systems](/majors/health-care-professions/alternative-medicine-systems/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools to find the best return on investment for alternative medicine & systems students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in alternative medicine & systems, balancing cost against outcomes.
Leading the list is Ashford University, our #1 best value for alternative medicine & systems in California. Set in the city of San Diego, Ashford University is a very large private for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,960. Students borrow a median of $39,188 to complete the alternative medicine & systems program here. Early-career alternative medicine & systems graduates make about $38,789. Set against $39,188 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes Pacific College Of Oriental Medicine Llc San Diego one of the best values for alternative medicine & systems. Pacific College Of Oriental Medicine Llc San Diego is a small private for-profit school located in the city of San Diego. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,000. Students borrow a median of $19,492 to complete the alternative medicine & systems program here. Early-career alternative medicine & systems graduates make about $31,780. That is a strong return on a $19,492 median debt.
Southern California University Of Health Sciences is a great value for students pursuing a degree in alternative medicine & systems, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Whittier, Southern California University Of Health Sciences is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $14,390 in tuition and fees. Alternative Medicine & Systems graduates carry a median of $20,378 in student loans. Alternative Medicine & Systems graduates of Southern California University Of Health Sciences earn a median of $27,755 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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 · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.