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Best Value Economics Associate Degree Schools in California

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2023 Best Value Economics Associate Degree Schools in California

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

6 Colleges
$1,293 Avg Tuition & Fees*

Finding the Best Economics Associate Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, 10,510 degrees and certificates were awarded to economics students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #12 most popular major in the state.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

The Best Value Economics Associate Degree Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 6 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for economics students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Economics Associate Degree Schools in California

Check out the economics associate degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Best California Schools for Affordable Quality for an Associate in Economics

#1

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa, CA

Our 2023 rankings named Santa Rosa Junior College the best value school in California for economics students working on their associate degree. Located in the midsize city of Santa Rosa, SRJC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

SRJC undergraduate students pay an average of $1,328 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

SRJC also took the #2 spot in our Best Economics Associate Degree Schools in California rankings.

Full Economics at Santa Rosa Junior College Report

#2

East Los Angeles College

Monterey Park, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend East Los Angeles College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Economics Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large suburb of Monterey Park, East Los Angeles College is a public school with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at East Los Angeles College are $1,238 per year.

Full Economics at East Los Angeles College Report

#3

American River College

Sacramento, CA

The excellent associate degree programs at American River College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value economics schools in California. American River is a very large public school located in the suburb of Sacramento.

Full Economics at American River College Report

#4

Mt. San Jacinto College

San Jacinto, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Mt. San Jacinto College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Economics Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in the midsize suburb of San Jacinto, MSJC is a public school with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at MSJC are $1,406 a year.

Read full report on Economics at Mt. San Jacinto College

#5

Butte College

Oroville, CA

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Butte College is a great value for economics students working on their associate degree. Located in the rural area of Oroville, Butte College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Butte College are $1,368 a year.

Read full report on Economics at Butte College

#6

Antelope Valley College

Lancaster, CA

With a ranking of #6, Antelope Valley College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for economics students working on their associate degree. Antelope Valley College is a large public school located in the suburb of Lancaster.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Antelope Valley College are $1,124 per year.

Read full report on Economics at Antelope Valley College

Best Value Economics Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 713
Oregon 596
Nevada 147
Hawaii 92
Alaska 17

One of 12 majors within the area of study, economics has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 49,282
Sociology 38,475
General Social Sciences 18,997
International Relations & National Security 14,306
Anthropology 11,415

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 6 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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