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2023 Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in California
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
It's not easy to decide which trade school program to enroll in when you have so many options available. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Trade College Search has created the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 67 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for trade school students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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Top Value Trade Associate Degree Schools in California
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found West Hills College-Lemoore to be the best value school for trade school students who want to pursue a associate degree in California. This small public school is located in Lemoore, California, and it awarded 767 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
West Hills College-Lemoore undergraduate students pay an average of $10,110 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $12,678 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since West Hills College-Lemoore does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 76% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, West Hills College-Lemoore is ranked #1 for overall quality in California.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Merced College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in California list. This fairly large public school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 1,615 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Merced Community College District are $7,890 per year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Merced Community College District. During the 2020-2021 year, about 89% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Merced Community College District also took the #2 spot in our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in California rankings.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Canada College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Located in Redwood City, California, the medium-sized public school awarded 462 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Canada College are $9,006 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $16,256 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Canada College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 92% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Canada College also made our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in California list, coming in at #3.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Santa Barbara City College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Located in Santa Barbara, California, the fairly large public school awarded 2,590 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at SBCC are $9,322 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,141 in student loans.
Online courses are available at SBCC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2020-2021 year, about 80% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
SBCC also made our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in California list, coming in at #4.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cuesta College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, the medium-sized public school awarded 2,629 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Cuesta College undergraduate students pay an average of $9,348 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $17,988 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Cuesta College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2020-2021 year, about 75% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Cuesta College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in California list.
Foothill College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Foothill College is a fairly large public school located in Los Altos Hills, California that handed out 998 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Foothill College undergraduate students pay an average of $11,510 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,968 in student loans.
Foothill College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 73% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Foothill College also did well on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in California list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
With a ranking of #7, Saddleback College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Saddleback College is a fairly large public school situated in Mission Viejo, California. It awarded 3,760 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Saddleback College undergraduate students pay an average of $9,814 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $8,010 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Saddleback College. In fact, around 82% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
In addition to its great value ranking, Saddleback College is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in California list.
With a ranking of #8, Napa Valley College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. This small public school is located in Napa, California, and it awarded 612 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Napa Valley College are $9,388 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Napa Valley College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 83% took at least some of their classes online.
Napa Valley College also claimed a spot on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in California list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Gavilan College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in California list. Gilroy, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 641 students in 2021-2022.
Gavilan College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,238 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Gavilan College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 74% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Gavilan College also claimed a spot on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in California list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
San Joaquin Delta College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. Stockton, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 3,631 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Delta are $9,072 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Delta. During the 2020-2021 year, about 98% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
In addition to its great value ranking, Delta is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in California list.
Mt. San Antonio College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. Located in Walnut, California, the large public school awarded 3,780 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Mt. SAC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,096 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $12,514 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Mt. SAC does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 10% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Mt. SAC also claimed a spot on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Cabrillo College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Cabrillo College is located in Aptos, California and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,994 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Cabrillo College are $8,630 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Cabrillo College. In 2020-2021 about 88% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
In addition to its great value ranking, Cabrillo College is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in California list.
Santa Rosa Junior College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in California list. Santa Rosa, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 2,210 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SRJC are $9,310 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $15,618 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at SRJC. In fact, around 85% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, SRJC also did well on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Yuba College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #14 on the list. This medium-sized public school is located in Marysville, California, and it awarded 1,330 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Yuba College are $7,488 a year.
One thing to take note of is that Yuba College does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 79% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #15, Fresno City College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Fresno City College is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,386 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Fresno City College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,890 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $4,603 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Fresno City College. In fact, around 88% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Butte College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in California list. This medium-sized public school is located in Oroville, California, and it awarded 1,193 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Butte College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,816 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $12,921 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Butte College. In 2020-2021 about 81% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
West Hills College-Coalinga came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. This small public school is located in Coalinga, California, and it awarded 533 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at West Hills College-Coalinga are $10,110 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $7,816 in student loans.
West Hills College-Coalinga does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 78% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
College of the Desert did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in Palm Desert, California, the fairly large public school awarded 1,412 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at College of the Desert are $9,138 a year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at College of the Desert. In 2020-2021 about 88% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Cerritos College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. This fairly large public school is located in Norwalk, California, and it awarded 2,591 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Cerritos College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,324 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $13,198 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Cerritos College. In 2020-2021 about 78% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #20, Sacramento City College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Sacramento City is a fairly large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 1,884 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Sacramento City are $10,768 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,597 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Sacramento City. During the 2020-2021 year, about 94% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
American River College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in California list. This large public school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 2,570 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at American River are $10,768 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $12,842 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that American River does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 82% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #22, College of the Canyons did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. College of the Canyons is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Clarita, California. It awarded 3,257 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at College of the Canyons are $9,322 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $13,145 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at College of the Canyons. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 69% took at least some of their classes online.
Modesto Junior College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in Modesto, California, the fairly large public school awarded 2,385 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MJC are $7,308 per year.
One thing to take note of is that MJC does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 84% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
College of the Sequoias did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #24 on the list. Located in Visalia, California, the fairly large public school awarded 1,782 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at College of the Sequoias are $8,338 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $9,218 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
College of the Sequoias does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 75% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Ventura College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Ventura College is located in Ventura, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2,456 associate degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ventura College are $8,146 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $13,615 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Ventura College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 91% took at least some of their classes online.
Best Value Trade Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
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%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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