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2023 Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 65 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value basic certificate 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 Basic Certificate Schools in California
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Santa Barbara City College to be the best value school for trade school students who want to pursue a basic certificate in California. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 119 students in 2021-2022.
SBCC undergraduate students pay an average of $9,322 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since SBCC does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 80% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
SBCC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in California list.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Merced College is a great place for trade school students working on their basic certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Merced Community College District is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 287 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Merced Community College District undergraduate students pay an average of $7,890 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Merced Community College District. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 89% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Merced Community College District did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in California list.
The excellent basic certificate programs at Crafton Hills College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value trade school schools in California. CHC is located in Yucaipa, California and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 216 basic certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CHC are $9,942 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at CHC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 78% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
CHC also took the #4 spot in our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in California rankings.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Cuesta College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in California list. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 805 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cuesta College are $9,348 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Cuesta College does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 75% took at least some of their classes online.
Cuesta College also took the #5 spot in our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in California rankings.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Santa Rosa Junior College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in California list. Santa Rosa Junior College is a fairly large public school located in Santa Rosa, California that handed out 2,534 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
SRJC undergraduate students pay an average of $9,310 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at SRJC. During the 2020-2021 year, about 85% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
SRJC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in California list.
With a ranking of #6, Butte College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Located in Oroville, California, the medium-sized public school handed out 777 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Butte College are $7,816 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Butte College. In fact, around 81% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Butte College also claimed a spot on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in California list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Los Angeles City College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #7 on the list. Los Angeles City College is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 371 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Los Angeles City College undergraduate students pay an average of $9,870 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Los Angeles City College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 95% took at least some of their classes online.
In addition to its great value ranking, Los Angeles City College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in California list.
Canada College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in California ranking. Redwood City, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 75 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Canada College are $9,006 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Canada College. In fact, around 92% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Canada College also did well on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in California list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
San Joaquin Delta College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in Stockton, California, the fairly large public school awarded 278 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Delta are $9,072 a year.
Online courses are available at Delta, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 98% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Delta excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in California list.
Victor Valley College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in California ranking. Victor Valley College is a fairly large public school situated in Victorville, California. It awarded 1,648 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Victor Valley College are $10,125 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Victor Valley College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 49% took at least some of their classes online.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Victor Valley College also did well on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Cabrillo College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in California list. Cabrillo College is a medium-sized public school located in Aptos, California that handed out 383 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Cabrillo College are $8,630 a year.
Cabrillo College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 88% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Cabrillo College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in California list.
Palomar College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in California list. This fairly large public school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 844 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Palomar College are $10,644 per year.
One thing to take note of is that Palomar College does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 88% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Palomar College also claimed a spot on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
With a ranking of #13, College of the Sequoias did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. College of the Sequoias is a fairly large public school located in Visalia, California that handed out 773 basic certificates 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.
One thing to take note of is that College of the Sequoias does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 75% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Mt. San Antonio College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in California list. Located in Walnut, California, the large public school handed out 1,409 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Mt. SAC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,096 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Mt. SAC does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 10% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
West Hills College-Lemoore did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in Lemoore, California, the small public school awarded 688 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at West Hills College-Lemoore are $10,110 per year.
West Hills College-Lemoore 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 76% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
College of the Canyons landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. This fairly large public school is located in Santa Clarita, California, and it awarded 579 basic certificates 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.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at College of the Canyons. In 2020-2021 about 69% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Foothill College landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. Located in Los Altos Hills, California, the fairly large public school awarded 568 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Foothill College are $11,510 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Foothill College does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 73% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Moorpark College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in California ranking. Located in Moorpark, California, the fairly large public school awarded 280 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Moorpark College are $8,146 per year.
Moorpark 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 92% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Ventura College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #19 on the list. Ventura College is a fairly large public school located in Ventura, California that handed out 519 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Ventura College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,146 in tuition and fees each year.
Online courses are available at Ventura College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 91% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #20, Cerritos College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. This fairly large public school is located in Norwalk, California, and it awarded 2,393 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Cerritos College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,324 in tuition and fees each year.
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 #21, Yuba College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Located in Marysville, California, the medium-sized public school awarded 545 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
Yuba College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,488 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Yuba College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 79% took at least some of their classes online.
American River College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. American River is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 336 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
American River undergraduate students pay an average of $10,768 in tuition and fees each year.
Online courses are available at American River, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 82% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #23, Glendale Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Located in Glendale, California, the fairly large public school awarded 294 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GCC are $8,438 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at GCC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 65% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Golden West College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in California ranking. Located in Huntington Beach, California, the fairly large public school awarded 2,005 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Golden West College are $9,854 a year.
Golden West College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 86% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
San Bernardino Valley College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #25 on the list. This fairly large public school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 881 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at San Bernardino Valley College are $5,057 per year.
Online courses are available at San Bernardino Valley College, 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 91% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Best Value Trade Basic Certificate 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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