2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools and bootcamps that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 84 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which ones offered the best value graduate certificate programs for students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Heritage University to be the best value school for students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in the Far Western US Region . Located in Toppenish, Washington, the very small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Heritage University are $9,872 per year. Graduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $24,916 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Heritage University does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 5% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Out of the 84 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s value ranking, Brandman University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Brandman University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Irvine, California that handed out 145 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Brandman are $12,720 a year.
Brandman is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Brandman also claimed a spot on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
The excellent graduate certificate programs at Linfield University - Online and Continuing Education helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value schools in the Far Western US Region . Linfield OCE is located in McMinnville, Oregon and has a very small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 graduate certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Linfield OCE are $0 a year.
Linfield OCE is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Linfield OCE excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list.
Read full report on Linfield University - Online and Continuing Education
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Fielding Graduate University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 101 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Fielding graduate students pay an average of $18,718 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Fielding. In 2019-2020 about 97% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Fielding also made our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list, coming in at #1.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend City University of Seattle. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Seattle, Washington, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 53 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at CityU are $11,812 per year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at CityU. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 79% took at least some of their classes online.
Point Loma Nazarene University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. PLNU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 3 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at PLNU are $11,880 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at PLNU. During the 2019-2020 year, about 56% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #7, Biola University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Located in La Mirada, California, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 68 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Biola are $12,006 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Biola. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 97% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Whitworth University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #8 on the list. Spokane, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 20 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Whitworth are $12,456 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Whitworth. During the 2019-2020 year, about 10% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Concordia University, Irvine ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Concordia University, Irvine is a small private not-for-profit school located in Irvine, California that handed out 41 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Concordia University, Irvine are $8,564 per year.
Since the graduate programs at Concordia University, Irvine are primarily online, it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
Corban University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in Salem, Oregon, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 22 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Corban graduate students pay an average of $9,760 in tuition and fees each year.
Online graduate courses are available at Corban, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 33% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #11, Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 42 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at MSMU are $13,099 a year.
One thing to take note of is that MSMU does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 99% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Seattle University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Seattle U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 178 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Seattle U graduate students pay an average of $14,310 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $21,447 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Seattle U. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 71% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #13, Vanguard University of Southern California did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Costa Mesa, California, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 43 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Vanguard are $12,376 per year.
Since the graduate programs at Vanguard are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
Read full report on Vanguard University of Southern California
California State University - San Marcos came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 16 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at CSUSM are $18,665 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since CSUSM does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 99% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
In addition to its great value ranking, CSUSM is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list.
Read full report on California State University - San Marcos
National University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 66 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at National University are $15,480 per year.
National University does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 48% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Santa Clara University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Santa Clara, California, and it awarded 58 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at SCU are $25,170 per year. On average, graduate certificate students take out $18,093 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at SCU. In 2019-2020 about 10% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
SCU also took the #3 spot in our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region rankings.
Saint Martin’s University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #17 on the list. Located in Lacey, Washington, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Saint Martin’s graduate students pay an average of $15,840 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Saint Martin’s. In 2019-2020 about 98% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #18, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 graduate certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $21,133 per year.
One thing to take note of is that Cal Poly San Luis Obispo does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 95% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also claimed a spot on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
George Fox University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. GFU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Newberg, Oregon. It awarded 26 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
GFU graduate students pay an average of $14,293 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at GFU. In fact, around 78% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #20, Presidio Graduate School did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Presidio Graduate School is a very small private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 6 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Presidio Graduate School are $31,920 per year.
Presidio Graduate School also took the #2 spot in our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region rankings.
Alaska Pacific University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Alaska Pacific is located in Anchorage, Alaska and has a very small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 graduate certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Alaska Pacific are $12,110 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, Alaska Pacific is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #22 on the list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 203 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
CSULB graduate students pay an average of $17,784 in tuition and fees each year. Graduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $18,477 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at CSULB. During the 2019-2020 year, about 100% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
San Jose State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in San Jose, California, the large public school awarded 177 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at San Jose State are $18,790 per year.
One thing to take note of is that San Jose State does offer online graduate classes in some areas. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 94% took at least some of their classes online.
Golden Gate University - San Francisco landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Golden Gate University - San Francisco is located in San Francisco, California and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 graduate certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Golden Gate University - San Francisco are $19,875 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Golden Gate University - San Francisco, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 58% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Azusa Pacific University landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Azusa Pacific University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Azusa, California that handed out 36 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Azusa Pacific graduate students pay an average of $16,696 in tuition and fees each year.
Since the graduate programs at Azusa Pacific are primarily online, it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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