by our College Data Analytics TeamIt's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. College Factual has developed its Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking as one thing you can use to help make this decision. A school that typically has a high sticker price may actually be very affordable, depending on how much need-based financial aid you receive.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
After analyzing 154 schools in the Far Western US Region , we came up with our list of those that offered the best value Associate Degree programs. To come up with this ranking of the best value schools, we look at factors that are all objective measurements. We explain more about what we look at and why we do so below.
When determining the value of a school in our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, we first look at its average net price of a student coming from a family that makes $48-$75k a year. The net price is defined as the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that the student receives. But, a school that excels in providing value for your money must also be a great school overall as well.
To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
We go into more detail on these factors on 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:
Our 2024 rankings named Golden West College the best value (income $48-$75k) school in the Far Western US Region for students working on their associate degree. Golden West College is a fairly large public school situated in Huntington Beach, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Golden West College is ranked #2 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $6,429.
Out of the 154 associate degree schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Clover Park Technical College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Lakewood, Washington, the school is a small public institution.
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 $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,837.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southwestern College. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list. SWC Chula Vista is a fairly large public school situated in Chula Vista, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Southwestern College is ranked #4 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $7,131.
The quality degree programs at Honolulu Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region. Honolulu Community College is a small public school located in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Not only is Honolulu Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Hawaii for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $7,989.
A rank of #5 on our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list means Pasadena City College is a great place for students working on their degree. Located in Pasadena, California, the school is a large public institution.
Pasadena City College has the honor of being ranked #10 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,469.
With a ranking of #6, West Valley College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list. This medium-sized public school is located in Saratoga, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, West Valley College is ranked #21 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,399.
With a ranking of #7, Ventura College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list. Ventura, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Ventura College has the honor of being ranked #44 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,433.
With a ranking of #8, Moreno Valley College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list. Moreno Valley College is a public institution located in Moreno Valley, California.
Moreno Valley College has the honor of being ranked #32 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,744.
Saddleback College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list. This fairly large public school is located in Mission Viejo, California.
Not only is Saddleback College a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $8,351.
College of the Canyons did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #10. Santa Clarita, 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, College of the Canyons is ranked #28 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,180.
With a ranking of #11, Riverside City College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list. This fairly large public school is located in Riverside, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Riverside City College is ranked #23 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,235.
Orange Coast College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #12. This fairly large public school is located in Costa Mesa, California.
Not only is Orange Coast College a great value, but it is also ranked #27 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,865.
Santa Ana College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list. SAC is a public institution located in Santa Ana, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Santa Ana College is ranked #39 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,735.
Moorpark College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Moorpark, California, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Not only is Moorpark College a great value, but it is also ranked #57 in California for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $3,685.
Fresno City College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #15. Fresno City College is a large public school situated in Fresno, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Fresno City College is ranked #25 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $7,139.
Cerritos College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Norwalk, 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, Cerritos College is ranked #12 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $8,228.
Mt. San Antonio College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #17. Mt. SAC is a public institution located in Walnut, California.
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 $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,599.
Grossmont College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Grossmont College is located in El Cajon, California and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.
Grossmont College has the honor of being ranked #43 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $5,853.
Los Medanos College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #19. Los Medanos College is a medium-sized public school located in Pittsburg, California.
Not only is Los Medanos College a great value, but it is also ranked #40 in California for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $6,177.
Santa Rosa Junior College landed the #20 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Santa Rosa, California, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Santa Rosa Junior College has the honor of being ranked #8 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $9,782.
Foothill College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Los Altos Hills, California, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Foothill College has the honor of being ranked #5 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $10,777.
With a ranking of #22, Sacramento City College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list. This fairly large public school is located in Sacramento, California.
Sacramento City College has the honor of being ranked #26 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $7,989.
MiraCosta College landed the #23 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Oceanside, 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, MiraCosta College is ranked #35 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $7,086.
Santa Monica College landed the #24 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Santa Monica College is a large public school located in Santa Monica, California.
Not only is Santa Monica College a great value, but it is also ranked #45 in California for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $6,143.
Portland Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #25. Portland Community College is a large public school located in Portland, Oregon.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Portland Community College is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Oregon. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $10,695.
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These schools also performed well in our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | College of Southern Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | Value Report |
| 27 | Canada College | Redwood City, CA | Value Report |
| 28 | College of San Mateo | San Mateo, CA | Value Report |
| 29 | Bellevue College | Bellevue, WA | Value Report |
| 30 | National University | La Jolla, CA | Value Report |
| 31 | Imperial Valley College | Imperial, CA | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.