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2026 Best Value Marine Transportation Schools in California

[Marine Transportation](/majors/transportation-materials-handling/marine-transportation/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value marine transportation schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Marine Transportation Schools in California

2026 Best Value Marine Transportation Schools in California

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in marine transportation, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Marine Transportation Schools

1

Orange Coast College
Costa Mesa, CA

$1,392 In-State Tuition & Fees

$8,978 Avg Student Debt

$47,348 Median Earnings (10yr)

Orange Coast College tops our 2026 list of the best value marine transportation schools in California. Orange Coast College is a very large public school located in the city of Costa Mesa. Students from in state pay about $1,392 in tuition and fees, compared with $11,640 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for marine transportation graduates is $8,978. Early-career marine transportation graduates make about $46,306. Set against $8,978 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.

2

California Maritime Academy
Vallejo, CA

$9,559 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,945 Avg Student Debt

$94,784 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in marine transportation will find it at California Maritime Academy, which ranked #2. 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. Marine Transportation graduates carry a median of $26,945 in student loans. Soon after graduation, marine transportation degree recipients from California Maritime Academy generally make around $87,464. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 95%.

View All Marine Transportation Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.