by our College Data Analytics TeamWhen pursuing a degree in today's world, there are many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking is part of that endeavor. The amount of financial aid you could receive at various schools, including some with high sticker prices, may surprise you.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
After analyzing 91 schools in California, we came up with our list of those that offered 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. In the next few paragraphs, we'll talk a little about what we use in our analysis and why.
To calculate the value of a school in our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking, we first consider its average net price, which is the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that 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 take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Find out more about our best value ranking methodology.
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 (with aid) school for associate degrees in California for overall quality. Golden West College is a public institution located in Huntington Beach, California.
Not only is Golden West College a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in California for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $5,433.
The quality degree programs at Southwestern College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California. SWC Chula Vista is located in Chula Vista, California and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.
Southwestern College has the honor of being ranked #4 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $6,789 a year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pasadena City College. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California 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. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $6,466.
A rank of #4 on our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list means Saddleback College is a great place for students working on their degree. Mission Viejo, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is Saddleback College a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in California for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $7,918 a year.
A rank of #5 on our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list means Moreno Valley College is a great place for students working on their degree. Moreno Valley, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Moreno Valley College is ranked #32 for quality in the state of California. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $4,899 a year.
With a ranking of #6, Ventura College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. Ventura, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is Ventura College a great value, but it is also ranked #44 in California for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $3,971.
Fresno City College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Fresno, California, the school is a large public institution.
Fresno City College has the honor of being ranked #25 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $6,391 a year.
With a ranking of #8, National University did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. National University is located in La Jolla, California and has a fairly large student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is National University a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in California for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $9,966.
With a ranking of #9, Mt. San Antonio College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. Mt. SAC is located in Walnut, California and has a large student population. 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. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $5,774 a year.
With a ranking of #10, West Valley College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. Saratoga, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
West Valley College has the honor of being ranked #21 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $6,890 a year.
College of the Canyons landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking. Santa Clarita, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is College of the Canyons a great value, but it is also ranked #28 in California for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $6,400.
Foothill College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking. Los Altos Hills, 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, Foothill College is ranked #5 for quality in the state of California. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $9,820.
Riverside City College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. Riverside City College is a fairly large public school situated 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. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $7,161 a year.
Orange Coast College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Costa Mesa, California, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Not only is Orange Coast College a great value, but it is also ranked #27 in California for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $6,836.
With a ranking of #15, Imperial Valley College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. IVC is located in Imperial, California and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Imperial Valley College is ranked #73 for quality in the state of California. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $2,300 a year.
Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking, coming in at #16. SRJC is located in Santa Rosa, California and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.
Santa Rosa Junior College has the honor of being ranked #8 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $9,220.
With a ranking of #17, Santa Ana College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. This large public school is 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. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $6,351.
Grossmont College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking, coming in at #18. Grossmont College is a public institution located in El Cajon, California.
Grossmont College has the honor of being ranked #43 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $5,999.
Sacramento City College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Sacramento, California, the school is a fairly large public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Sacramento City College is ranked #26 for quality in the state of California. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $7,788 a year.
Coastline Community College landed the #20 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking. Coastline Community College is located in Fountain Valley, California and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Coastline Community College is ranked #13 for quality in the state of California. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $8,953.
MiraCosta College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking, coming in at #21. MiraCosta College is a public institution located in Oceanside, California.
MiraCosta College has the honor of being ranked #35 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $6,946.
Yuba College landed the #22 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking. Yuba College is located in Marysville, California and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Yuba College is ranked #49 for quality in the state of California. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $5,503 a year.
Moorpark College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. Moorpark College is a fairly large public school situated 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. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $4,856.
Santa Monica College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking. SMC is a large public school situated 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. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $6,380.
With a ranking of #25, Canada College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. Redwood City, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Canada College is ranked #48 for quality in the state of California. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $5,923 a year.
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.