by our College Data Analytics TeamWhen pursuing a degree in today's world, there are many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard. This list may shock you as many typically expensive schools are very generous with need-based financial aid.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
Our analysis looked at 156 schools in the Far Western US Region to determine which ones have the best value Associate Degree programs. Instead of depending on subjective information to rank the best value schools, we focus on objective factors in our analysis. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
The first step of determing the value of a school in our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking is to look at the school's average net price for students with families that make $30-$48k a year. The net price is the sum of tuition, fees, and room and board minus any financial aid awarded to the student. But, a school that excels in providing value for your money must also be a great school overall as well.
To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To learn more, visit our best value ranking methodology page.
Keep scrolling for the top schools in this ranking or select one of the other rankings methods below.
If you know what major you want to study, check out our list of the best value schools by major. If you're interested in other degree levels, you can view one of the lists below.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Golden West College tops this year’s ranking as the best value (income $30-$48k) school for associate degrees in the Far Western US Region for overall quality. Located in Huntington Beach, California, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Not only is Golden West College a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,515.
Out of the 156 associate degree schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, West Valley College landed the #2 spot on the list. West Valley College is a medium-sized public school situated in Saratoga, California.
West Valley College has the honor of being ranked #21 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $1,394.
A rank of #3 on our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list means Southwestern College is a great place for students working on their degree. SWC Chula Vista is located in Chula Vista, California and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Southwestern College is ranked #4 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,452.
A rank of #4 on our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list means Moreno Valley College is a great place for students working on their degree. Moreno Valley College is a medium-sized public school located in Moreno Valley, California.
Not only is Moreno Valley College a great value, but it is also ranked #32 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $1,113.
A rank of #5 on our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list means Ventura College is a great place for students working on their degree. Ventura College is a public institution located in Ventura, California.
Not only is Ventura College a great value, but it is also ranked #44 in California for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $282.
Pasadena City College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Pasadena City College is located in Pasadena, California and has a large student population. It is a public school.
Pasadena City College has the honor of being ranked #10 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $3,697.
Honolulu Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #7. Honolulu Community College is a small public school located in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Honolulu Community College has the honor of being ranked #1 in Hawaii for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $6,930.
College of the Canyons came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. College of the Canyons is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Clarita, California.
College of the Canyons has the honor of being ranked #28 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $2,938.
Saddleback College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Saddleback College is a fairly large public school situated in Mission Viejo, California.
Not only is Saddleback College a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in California for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $5,842.
Clover Park Technical College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. CPTC is located in Lakewood, Washington and has a small student population. It is a public school.
Clover Park Technical College has the honor of being ranked #1 in Washington for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,919.
With a ranking of #11, Fresno City College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Fresno City College is a large public school located in Fresno, California.
Fresno City College has the honor of being ranked #25 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $3,838.
Mt. San Antonio College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Walnut, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Mt. San Antonio College is ranked #30 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,327.
Santa Rosa Junior College landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. SRJC is located in Santa Rosa, California and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Santa Rosa Junior College is ranked #8 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $6,087.
With a ranking of #14, Moorpark College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Moorpark College is a fairly large public school located in Moorpark, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Moorpark College is ranked #57 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $811.
With a ranking of #15, Santa Ana College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Santa Ana, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is Santa Ana College a great value, but it is also ranked #39 in California for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $2,851.
With a ranking of #16, Cerritos College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Cerritos College is a public institution located in Norwalk, California.
Cerritos College has the honor of being ranked #12 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,432.
Foothill College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Los Altos Hills, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is Foothill College a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,214.
Riverside City College landed the #17 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Riverside, California, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Riverside City College has the honor of being ranked #23 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $4,598.
Orange Coast College landed the #19 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Costa Mesa, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Orange Coast College is ranked #27 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $4,534.
MiraCosta College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. MiraCosta College is located in Oceanside, California and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, MiraCosta College is ranked #35 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $3,876.
Santa Monica College landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. SMC is a public institution located in Santa Monica, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Santa Monica College is ranked #45 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $2,997.
Grossmont College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Located in El Cajon, California, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Grossmont College has the honor of being ranked #43 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,370.
Canada College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Redwood City, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Canada College has the honor of being ranked #48 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $2,710.
With a ranking of #24, Los Medanos College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Pittsburg, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Los Medanos College has the honor of being ranked #40 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $3,824.
With a ranking of #25, Imperial Valley College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Imperial, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Imperial Valley College has the honor of being ranked #73 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $866.
View Best Value Associate Degree Schools (Income $30-$48k) Nationwide >
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These schools also performed well in our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Renton Technical College | Renton, WA | Value Report |
| 27 | Sacramento City College | Sacramento, CA | Value Report |
| 28 | Citrus College | Glendora, CA | Value Report |
| 29 | Coastline Community College | Fountain Valley, CA | Value Report |
| 30 | Los Angeles Southwest College | Los Angeles, CA | Value Report |
| 31 | College of Southern Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | Value Report |
| 32 | Cypress College | Cypress, CA | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.