2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Education (Income $0-$30k) in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 310,601 education students received their degree, making the major the 4th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,887 and had an average of $30,244 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 24,764 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,134 and $37,359 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 1,020 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,451 and $19,634 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 3 colleges that offer a degree in education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent education programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california associate degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 3 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Education (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses

Stockton, California

#3 in overall quality

$9,334 Average Net Price

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stockton, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Humphreys University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses is $9,334 for california associate degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Education at Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses

#2

The University of Arizona Global Campus

San Diego, California

#1 in overall quality

$20,283 Average Net Price

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Arizona Global Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in San Diego, California, this large private for-profit school awarded 287 degrees to qualified associates’s education students in 2019-2020.

UAGC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $20,283 for california associate degree education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UAGC.

Full The University of Arizona Global Campus Education Report

#3

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California

#2 in overall quality

$27,107 Average Net Price

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mount Saint Mary’s University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 3 associates’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

MSMU also took the #2 spot in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MSMU is $27,107 for california associate degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at Mount Saint Mary’s University

• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Education (Income $0-$30k)

Notes and References

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%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

• *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
• Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

• Credit for the banner image above goes to Horadrim.

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