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Best Value Degrees in California (2026)

Top 100 of 1749 programs in California · Updated 2026

The best college programs in California, ranked by overall value. We scored 1749 programs across California schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $73,887/yr in graduate earnings.

Programs in CA

1,749

Avg Earnings (Top 100)

$73,887/yr

Avg DW Score

87/100

#1 Program

Business Administration

University of California-Berkeley

Top Programs in California

Top 100 programs by DegreeWorth Score. Click any row for full analysis.

#	Program	DW Score	Earnings	AI Risk	ROI
1	Business Administration University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA	94 87–97	$90,008/yr	High	23.4x
2	Business Administration California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA	92 86–94	$71,876/yr	High	22.2x
3	Public Administration California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA	93 87–95	$76,049/yr	High	25.8x
4	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-Stanislaus · Turlock, CA	91 85–91	$119,356/yr	High	38.2x
5	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA	91 85–91	$93,142/yr	High	34.7x
6	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-Chico · Chico, CA	91 85–91	$113,181/yr	High	36.4x
7	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-Dominguez Hills · Carson, CA	91 85–92	$110,626/yr	High	42.5x
8	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA	91 85–91	$96,890/yr	High	39.6x
9	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA	91 85–92	$103,028/yr	High	40.1x
10	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA	91 85–92	$124,392/yr	High	56.0x
11	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA	91 85–91	$100,178/yr	High	39.6x
12	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA	91 85–92	$98,811/yr	High	43.1x
13	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA	91 85–92	$106,780/yr	High	41.1x
14	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA	91 85–92	$116,001/yr	High	44.6x
15	Nursing (RN/BSN) San Diego State University · San Diego, CA	91 85–91	$100,221/yr	High	32.1x
16	Nursing (RN/BSN) San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA	91 85–92	$117,532/yr	High	47.6x
17	Nursing (RN/BSN) Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA	91 85–92	$125,646/yr	High	39.1x
18	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA	91 85–91	$103,799/yr	High	33.2x
19	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-Monterey Bay · Seaside, CA	91 85–92	$117,088/yr	High	43.4x
20	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-Channel Islands · Camarillo, CA	91 85–91	$103,484/yr	High	39.7x
21	Computer & Information Science University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA	91 81–93	$136,099/yr	Very High	38.8x
22	Nursing (RN/BSN) University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA	90 83–89	$94,611/yr	High	21.5x
23	Business Administration California State University Maritime Academy · Vallejo, CA	90 83–92	$57,265/yr	High	26.3x
24	Business Administration California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA	88 82–90	$51,549/yr	High	26.6x
25	Allied Health & Diagnostic Professions California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA	86 82–86	$100,724/yr	Moderate	36.4x
26	Computer Science University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA	90 79–92	$149,866/yr	Very High	36.9x
27	Nursing (RN/BSN) University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA	89 83–88	$87,715/yr	High	19.8x
28	Nursing (RN/BSN) National University · San Diego, CA	90 84–88	$99,714/yr	High	19.3x
29	Finance San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA	87 81–90	$62,778/yr	Very High	25.0x
30	Business Administration Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA	89 82–91	$55,001/yr	High	23.5x
31	Computer Science California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA	89 79–91	$111,141/yr	Very High	24.1x
32	Computer Science California State University-Chico · Chico, CA	89 78–92	$81,021/yr	Very High	37.8x
33	Accounting California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA	87 80–90	$68,904/yr	Very High	30.8x
34	Computer & Information Science University of California-Davis · Davis, CA	88 75–91	$84,343/yr	Very High	22.5x
35	Computer Science University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA	89 77–91	$112,006/yr	Very High	25.3x
36	Computer Science University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA	88 77–91	$107,776/yr	Very High	23.3x
37	Public Administration National University · San Diego, CA	89 85–89	$77,077/yr	High	13.5x
38	Business Administration San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA	87 80–89	$48,184/yr	High	25.9x
39	Business Administration California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA	87 80–89	$49,543/yr	High	22.9x
40	Business Administration California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA	86 79–88	$46,581/yr	High	23.4x
41	Business Administration California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA	87 80–89	$48,256/yr	High	24.0x
42	Criminal Justice California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA	83 79–85	$45,387/yr	Moderate	23.7x
43	Business Administration California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA	86 80–88	$48,492/yr	High	21.5x
44	Computer Science University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA	87 74–90	$82,161/yr	Very High	22.3x
45	Allied Health & Diagnostic Professions National University · San Diego, CA	84 80–83	$92,748/yr	Moderate	19.3x
46	Computer Science San Diego State University · San Diego, CA	88 77–90	$74,523/yr	Very High	33.5x
47	Finance California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA	85 78–89	$54,408/yr	Very High	27.2x
48	Business Administration California State University-Monterey Bay · Seaside, CA	86 80–88	$47,825/yr	High	23.4x
49	Business Administration California State University-Channel Islands · Camarillo, CA	86 80–88	$47,581/yr	High	23.3x
50	Business Administration California State University-Chico · Chico, CA	85 78–88	$46,145/yr	High	23.6x
51	Construction Management California State University-Chico · Chico, CA	86 79–88	$89,075/yr	High	35.2x
52	Construction Management California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA	86 80–88	$99,649/yr	High	34.3x
53	Business Administration California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA	85 79–87	$45,751/yr	High	22.8x
54	Economics University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA	85 77–89	$80,446/yr	Very High	20.2x
55	Dental Hygiene Foothill College · Los Altos Hills, CA	82 78–82	$81,255/yr	Moderate	128.8x
56	Business Administration San Diego State University · San Diego, CA	85 78–87	$46,275/yr	High	21.4x
57	Accounting San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA	85 77–88	$60,607/yr	Very High	26.9x
58	International Business San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA	86 80–88	$58,560/yr	Very High	21.8x
59	Business Administration University of Massachusetts Global · Irvine, CA	86 80–87	$61,268/yr	High	14.6x
60	Business (General) California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA	85 79–87	$46,958/yr	High	21.1x
61	Accounting California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA	85 78–88	$63,366/yr	Very High	25.3x
62	Computer Science California State University-Monterey Bay · Seaside, CA	87 77–89	$71,458/yr	Very High	28.1x
63	Accounting California State University-Chico · Chico, CA	84 77–87	$60,606/yr	Very High	23.9x
64	Public Administration California State University-Dominguez Hills · Carson, CA	84 78–86	$45,471/yr	High	22.2x
65	Agricultural Business California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA	82 77–84	$50,100/yr	High	24.0x
66	Finance California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA	83 76–86	$48,961/yr	Very High	23.4x
67	Computer Science California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA	85 74–88	$62,821/yr	Very High	39.1x
68	Business Administration California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA	84 77–86	$43,714/yr	High	22.5x
69	Finance California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA	83 76–86	$48,553/yr	Very High	24.1x
70	Management Science & Analytics University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA	85 76–88	$66,099/yr	Very High	15.5x
71	Computer Science University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA	85 71–88	$75,150/yr	Very High	19.8x
72	Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies California State University Maritime Academy · Vallejo, CA	81 77–81	$98,661/yr	Moderate	31.1x
73	Accounting San Diego State University · San Diego, CA	84 75–88	$57,157/yr	Very High	28.2x
74	Finance San Diego State University · San Diego, CA	84 77–86	$53,373/yr	Very High	20.2x
75	Computer Science Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA	86 74–89	$66,481/yr	Very High	44.0x
76	Business Administration Los Angeles Pacific University · San Dimas, CA	87 82–87	$64,398/yr	High	12.4x
77	Agricultural Business California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA	80 74–85	$52,778/yr	High	20.0x
78	Computer Engineering California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA	86 76–89	$111,560/yr	Very High	32.0x
79	Construction Management California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA	85 79–86	$92,785/yr	High	19.9x
80	Business Administration California State University-Stanislaus · Turlock, CA	83 76–85	$43,872/yr	High	19.3x
81	Computer Science California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA	85 73–88	$60,740/yr	Very High	35.1x
82	Business Administration California State University-Dominguez Hills · Carson, CA	84 77–86	$43,905/yr	High	20.9x
83	Business Administration California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA	83 76–86	$42,657/yr	High	22.5x
84	Computer Science California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA	85 74–88	$60,371/yr	Very High	38.6x
85	Computer Science California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA	85 74–87	$60,378/yr	Very High	32.2x
86	Computer Engineering California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA	85 75–88	$79,809/yr	Very High	37.8x
87	Health Administration California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA	82 75–85	$43,594/yr	High	22.3x
88	Accounting California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA	83 75–87	$54,315/yr	Very High	27.0x
89	Business Administration California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA	83 76–85	$42,062/yr	High	22.5x
90	Computer & Information Science California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA	85 74–87	$55,931/yr	Very High	27.9x
91	Health Administration California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA	82 75–85	$44,779/yr	High	21.3x
92	Computer Science California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA	85 73–88	$60,028/yr	Very High	34.5x
93	Business Administration National University · San Diego, CA	85 80–84	$61,299/yr	High	12.2x
94	Criminal Justice San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA	81 76–83	$42,211/yr	Moderate	20.7x
95	Computer Science California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA	85 73–88	$60,645/yr	Very High	34.6x
96	Computer Science California State University-Channel Islands · Camarillo, CA	85 74–88	$59,374/yr	Very High	43.0x
97	Economics California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA	83 76–85	$67,501/yr	Very High	19.2x
98	Food Science & Technology California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA	79 74–80	$51,883/yr	Moderate	24.3x
99	Agricultural Business California State University-Chico · Chico, CA	79 74–82	$47,937/yr	High	20.1x
100	Health Administration California State University-Dominguez Hills · Carson, CA	82 75–83	$44,584/yr	High	18.6x

Methodology

This ranking includes the top 100 programs at California colleges and universities, drawn from 1749 total programs with earnings data. Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score (0–100), which combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and tuition ROI.

Only in-state tuition is used for ROI calculations. Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best college program in California?

By DegreeWorth Score, Business Administration at University of California-Berkeley ranks #1 in California with a score of 94/100 and graduate earnings of $90,008/yr.

How many college programs are in California?

Our database includes 1749 programs across California colleges with reported earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.