2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in California
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. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools and bootcamps with offerings that you might find attractive.
The Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 52 schools in California to see which graduate certificate programs offered the best value experiences for students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
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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Top Value Graduate Certificate Schools in California
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found California State University - San Marcos to be the best value school for students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in California. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 graduate certificates 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. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 99% took at least some of their classes online.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CSUSM also is in the top 15% of our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in California ranking.
Read full report on California State University - San Marcos
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. This large public school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 203 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
CSULB graduate students pay an average of $17,784 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,477 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at CSULB. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 100% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - San Bernardino. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in San Bernardino, California, the fairly large public school handed out 9 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
CSUSB graduate students pay an average of $18,151 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at CSUSB. In 2019-2020 about 100% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 190 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at CSUN are $17,981 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at CSUN. In 2019-2020 about 91% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 177 students in 2020-2021.
San Jose State graduate students pay an average of $18,790 in tuition and fees each year.
San Jose State does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 94% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
California State University - Fresno came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 21 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Fresno State graduate students pay an average of $17,591 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Fresno State. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 98% took at least some of their classes online.
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, the large public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $21,133 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In fact, around 95% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in California list.
Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 120 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Cal State LA are $17,723 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Cal State LA. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 100% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #9, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 13 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Cal Poly Pomona are $18,377 per year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Cal Poly Pomona. In 2019-2020 about 87% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Report
Brandman 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 Irvine, California, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 145 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Brandman graduate students pay an average of $12,720 in tuition and fees each year.
Since the graduate programs at Brandman are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Brandman also is in the top 20% of our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in California ranking.
San Francisco State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 163 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
SFSU graduate students pay an average of $18,242 in tuition and fees each year.
Online graduate courses are available at SFSU, 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 93% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Fielding Graduate University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 101 students in 2020-2021.
Fielding graduate students pay an average of $18,718 in tuition and fees each year.
Fielding does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. 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 California list, coming in at #1.
California State University - Channel Islands landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. California State University - Channel Islands is a medium-sized public school located in Camarillo, California that handed out 1 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at CSUCI are $17,755 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since CSUCI does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 99% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
University of California - Berkeley ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in Berkeley, California, the large public school awarded 70 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UC Berkeley are $29,262 a year. By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,850 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that UC Berkeley does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 90% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UC Berkeley also did well on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
San Diego State 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 #14 on the list. Located in San Diego, California, the large public school handed out 175 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
SDSU graduate students pay an average of $19,074 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at SDSU. During the 2019-2020 year, about 91% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #16, University of California - Irvine did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 144 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UC Irvine are $28,458 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UC Irvine does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 95% took at least some of their classes online.
Point Loma Nazarene University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. San Diego, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 3 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at PLNU are $11,880 per year.
PLNU does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 56% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #18, Biola University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Biola University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in La Mirada, California that handed out 68 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Biola are $12,006 per year.
You may have the opportunity 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.
With a ranking of #19, Concordia University, Irvine did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Irvine, California, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 41 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students 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.
With a ranking of #19, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Seaside, California, the medium-sized public school awarded 16 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at CSUMB are $18,156 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at CSUMB, 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 97% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #21 on the list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 32 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at CSUDH are $17,998 per year.
Online graduate courses are available at CSUDH, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 97% took at least some of their classes online.
Read full report on California State University - Dominguez Hills
Mount Saint Mary’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 #22 on the list. Mount Saint Mary’s University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 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.
MSMU does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 99% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of California - Davis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #23 on the list. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 12 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
UC Davis graduate students pay an average of $28,710 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that UC Davis does offer online graduate classes in some areas. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 52% took at least some of their classes online.
California State University - Sacramento ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Sac State graduate students pay an average of $18,330 in tuition and fees each year.
Sac State does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 86% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Read full report on California State University - Sacramento
With a ranking of #25, Vanguard University of Southern California did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Costa Mesa, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 43 students in 2020-2021.
Vanguard graduate students pay an average of $12,376 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, Vanguard is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.
Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region
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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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