2023 Best Value Undergraduate 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.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 67 schools in California to see which undergraduate 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 Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Cabrillo College the best value school in California for students working on their undergraduate certificate. Cabrillo College is located in Aptos, California and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 154 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cabrillo College are $8,630 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $14,746 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Cabrillo College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 53% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Cabrillo College is ranked #3 for overall quality in California.
The excellent undergraduate certificate programs at Mt. San Antonio College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value schools in California. Walnut, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 194 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Mt. SAC are $10,032 a year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $14,681 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Mt. SAC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 69% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Mt. SAC is ranked #2 for overall quality in California.
The excellent undergraduate certificate programs at Los Angeles Valley College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value schools in California. LAVC is located in Valley Glen, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,045 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
LAVC undergraduate students pay an average of $9,012 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,749 in student loans.
LAVC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 50% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
LAVC also made our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list, coming in at #1.
Out of the 67 schools in California that were part of this year’s value ranking, Napa Valley College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Napa Valley College is a small public school situated in Napa, California. It awarded 458 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Napa Valley College are $8,734 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Napa Valley College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 93% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Napa Valley College also took the #5 spot in our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California rankings.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cuesta College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, the medium-sized public school handed out 2,256 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Cuesta College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,702 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Cuesta College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 96% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Cuesta College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list.
With a ranking of #6, Butte College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their undergraduate certificate. Butte College is a medium-sized public school located in Oroville, California that handed out 366 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Butte College are $7,848 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $14,655 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Butte College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 33% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Butte College also did well on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Santa Barbara City College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. This fairly large public school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 1,306 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
SBCC undergraduate students pay an average of $8,912 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,383 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since SBCC does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 59% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, SBCC also did well on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
East Los Angeles College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. This large public school is located in Monterey Park, California, and it awarded 2,127 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
East Los Angeles College undergraduate students pay an average of $9,012 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $13,276 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since East Los Angeles College does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 41% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
In addition to its great value ranking, East Los Angeles College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list.
With a ranking of #9, San Bernardino Valley College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their undergraduate certificate. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 358 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at San Bernardino Valley College are $9,146 a year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $19,593 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at San Bernardino Valley College. In fact, around 95% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, San Bernardino Valley College also is in the top 15% of our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking.
Yuba College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Located in Marysville, California, the medium-sized public school awarded 33 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Yuba College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,488 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $13,091 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Yuba College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 39% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Yuba College also did well on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Los Angeles City College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in Los Angeles, California, the fairly large public school handed out 832 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Los Angeles City College are $9,012 a year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,202 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Los Angeles City College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 43% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
In addition to its great value ranking, Los Angeles City College is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list.
Moreno Valley College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Moreno Valley, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 157 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Moreno Valley College are $10,120 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $15,939 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Moreno Valley College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 36% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #13, Merced College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in Merced, California, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,041 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Merced Community College District are $7,444 a year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $9,067 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Merced Community College District does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 97% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Merced Community College District excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list.
Santa Ana College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #14 on the list. Located in Santa Ana, California, the large public school handed out 1,312 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
SAC undergraduate students pay an average of $7,684 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $13,108 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
SAC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 49% took at least some of their classes online.
Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in Santa Rosa, California, the fairly large public school handed out 760 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SRJC are $8,952 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $16,212 in loans while pursuing their degree.
SRJC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 70% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Foothill College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Foothill College is a fairly large public school located in Los Altos Hills, California that handed out 718 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Foothill College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,790 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Foothill College. In 2019-2020 about 83% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Cypress College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #17 on the list. This fairly large public school is located in Cypress, California, and it awarded 1,291 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cypress College are $8,898 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Cypress College does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 38% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #18, Sacramento City College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their undergraduate certificate. Sacramento City is located in Sacramento, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 202 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Sacramento City are $10,168 a year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Sacramento City. In 2019-2020 about 62% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #19, Palomar College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their undergraduate certificate. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 1,594 students in 2020-2021.
Palomar College undergraduate students pay an average of $9,940 in tuition and fees each year.
Online courses are available at Palomar College, 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 90% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Reedley College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Located in Reedley, California, the medium-sized public school awarded 94 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Reedley College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,504 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $5,807 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Reedley College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 34% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Glendale Community College landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate programs. This fairly large public school is located in Glendale, California, and it awarded 217 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GCC are $7,531 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,175 in student loans.
Online courses are available at GCC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 58% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #22, San Joaquin Delta College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their undergraduate certificate. This fairly large public school is located in Stockton, California, and it awarded 243 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Delta undergraduate students pay an average of $9,072 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $15,365 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Delta does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 100% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Cerritos College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Cerritos College is a public institution located in Norwalk, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 141 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Cerritos College are $10,026 a year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $16,628 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Cerritos College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 85% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #24, Saddleback College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in Mission Viejo, California, the fairly large public school handed out 2,495 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Saddleback College are $10,292 a year.
Online courses are available at Saddleback College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 89% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
College of Marin did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #25 on the list. Located in Kentfield, California, the small public school awarded 35 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
College of Marin undergraduate students pay an average of $9,864 in tuition and fees each year.
Online courses are available at College of Marin, 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 28% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Best Value Undergraduate 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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