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2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

66 Ranked Colleges
14,211 Degrees Awarded
$23,000 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Education Schools for a Master's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 310,601 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, education is the 4th most popular major in the United States. 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 14,211 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,281 and $50,119 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 66 colleges that offered a degree in education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the education program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Education Schools

The education school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Education (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 169 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Stanford University Education Report

#22 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 337 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Los Angeles are $17,723, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Education at Cal State LA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 223 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Dominguez Hills are $17,884, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Education at CSUDH

Out of the 66 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 461 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State Fullerton are $17,892.

Read more about Education at California State University - Fullerton

Out of the 66 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #5 spot on the list. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 295 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fresno are $17,581, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full California State University - Fresno Education Report

#10 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 130 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #10 spot in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UC Irvine are $28,456.

Full University of California - Irvine Education Report

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 117 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Stanislaus are $18,540, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Education at Stan State

California State University - Long Beach ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 196 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSULB are $17,784, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Education at California State University - Long Beach

#9

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 176 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UCLA Education Report

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUB is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 188 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Bakersfield are $18,437, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Education Report

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#16 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 175 students in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCR are $28,686, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of California - Riverside Education Report

California State University - Northridge landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 350 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Northridge are $17,955, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Education at California State University - Northridge

#13

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#19 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #19 spot in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UC Berkeley Education Report

#14

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 206 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - San Bernardino are $17,936.

Read full report on Education at California State University - San Bernardino

#15

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

With a ranking of #15, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 434 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at San Diego State University are $18,658.

Full San Diego State University Education Report

#16

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#7 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 149 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Santa Barbara are $28,670, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UCSB Education Report

#8 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

UCSD also took the #8 spot in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCSD are $28,631, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of California - San Diego Education Report

California State University - Sacramento ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 101 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Sac State are $18,356, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Education at California State University - Sacramento

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Davis landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 135 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Davis has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Davis are $28,700, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Education at University of California - Davis

#20

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#14 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 59 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Santa Cruz are $28,952, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Education at University of California - Santa Cruz

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 23 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal Poly Pomona are $18,377, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Education at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

California State University - San Marcos landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUSM is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 83 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - San Marcos are $18,661, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full California State University - San Marcos Education Report

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 94 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Monterey Bay are $18,081.

Full CSUMB Education Report

#24

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 254 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at San Jose State University are $18,790, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full San Jose State Education Report

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 187 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - East Bay are $17,828, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Education at California State University - East Bay

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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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