Find Trade Colleges
2023 Best Value Trade School Undergraduate 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Trade College Search has created the Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 66 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value undergraduate 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.
Featured schools near , edit
Top Value Trade Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Mt. San Antonio College the best value school in California for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in Walnut, California, the large public school awarded 268 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Mt. SAC are $10,096 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Mt. SAC does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 10% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Mt. SAC also made our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in California list, coming in at #1.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Cuesta College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,268 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cuesta College are $9,348 per year.
Cuesta College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 75% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Cuesta College did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in California list.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Napa Valley College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in Napa, California, the small public school awarded 378 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Napa Valley College are $9,388 a year.
Napa Valley College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 83% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Napa Valley College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in California list.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Bernardino Valley College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. This fairly large public school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 352 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at San Bernardino Valley College are $5,057 a 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. In 2020-2021 about 91% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
San Bernardino Valley College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in California list.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Butte College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. This medium-sized public school is located in Oroville, California, and it awarded 271 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Butte College are $7,816 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Butte College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 81% took at least some of their classes online.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Butte College is ranked #5 for overall quality in California.
With a ranking of #6, Cabrillo College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. Cabrillo College is a medium-sized public school located in Aptos, California that handed out 238 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Cabrillo College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,630 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,778 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Cabrillo College does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 88% took at least some of their classes online.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cabrillo College also is in the top 10% of our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in California ranking.
With a ranking of #7, Santa Barbara City College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. Santa Barbara City College is a fairly large public school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 1,058 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SBCC are $9,322 per year.
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. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 80% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, SBCC also did well on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in California list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Merced College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Merced College is a fairly large public school located in Merced, California that handed out 990 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Merced Community College District are $7,890 a year.
Online courses are available at Merced Community College District, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 89% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Merced Community College District also is in the top 15% of our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in California ranking.
With a ranking of #9, West Hills College-Coalinga did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. West Hills College-Coalinga is a public institution located in Coalinga, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 332 undergraduate certificates 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 undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,262 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at West Hills College-Coalinga. In 2020-2021 about 78% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, West Hills College-Coalinga also did well on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in California list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Canada College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate trade school programs. Located in Redwood City, California, the medium-sized public school awarded 84 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Canada College are $9,006 a year.
Canada College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 92% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Canada College also is in the top 15% of our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in California ranking.
Yuba College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate trade school programs. Yuba College is located in Marysville, California and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 499 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
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. In fact, around 79% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Yuba College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in California list.
Modesto Junior College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. MJC is a fairly large public school situated in Modesto, California. It awarded 205 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at MJC are $7,308 a year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at MJC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 84% took at least some of their classes online.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, MJC also did well on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Ventura College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate trade school programs. Ventura College is located in Ventura, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,212 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ventura College are $8,146 per year.
Ventura 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 91% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Ventura College also did well on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
With a ranking of #14, Foothill College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. Los Altos Hills, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 573 students in 2021-2022.
Foothill College undergraduate students pay an average of $11,510 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Foothill College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 73% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Cypress College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in Cypress, California, the fairly large public school awarded 1,310 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Cypress College are $7,986 a year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Cypress College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 50% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Palomar College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. This fairly large public school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 1,700 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Palomar College are $10,644 per year.
Palomar College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 88% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #17, Crafton Hills College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. CHC is located in Yucaipa, California and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 464 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
CHC undergraduate students pay an average of $9,942 in tuition and fees each year.
CHC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 78% took at least some of their classes online.
Victor Valley College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in Victorville, California, the fairly large public school awarded 1,786 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2021-2022.
Victor Valley College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,125 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Victor Valley College. In 2020-2021 about 49% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Fresno City College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in Fresno, California, the large public school handed out 243 undergraduate certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Fresno City College are $8,890 per year.
Fresno City College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 88% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Reedley College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in Reedley, California, the medium-sized public school handed out 99 undergraduate certificate awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Reedley College are $8,890 a year.
Reedley College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 68% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
San Joaquin Delta College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #21 on the list. Delta is a fairly large public school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 270 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Delta are $9,072 per 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. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 98% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Sacramento City College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #22 on the list. Sacramento City College is a fairly large public school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 204 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Sacramento City undergraduate students pay an average of $10,768 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Sacramento City. In fact, around 94% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Santa Rosa Junior College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. This fairly large public school is located in Santa Rosa, California, and it awarded 1,112 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at SRJC are $9,310 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able 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.
College of the Siskiyous did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #24 on the list. College of the Siskiyous is a small public school located in Weed, California that handed out 84 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
College of the Siskiyous undergraduate students pay an average of $9,844 in tuition and fees each year.
Online courses are available at College of the Siskiyous, 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 68% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Glendale Community College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Located in Glendale, California, the fairly large public school awarded 244 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GCC are $8,438 per year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $16,800 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
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.
Best Value Trade Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region
View Best Value Trade Undergraduate Certificate Schools Nationwide >
More California Rankings
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.
TradeCollege.org provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. TradeCollege.org is a for-profit site, and the displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© TradeCollege.org – All Rights Reserved.