2023 Best Value Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for teaching students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools and bootcamps that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Teaching Degree Search has created the Best Value Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 30 schools in California to see which graduate certificate programs offered the best value experiences for teaching students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
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 Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found California State University - Sacramento to be the best value school for teaching students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in California. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 2 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Sac State are $18,330 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Sac State does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 86% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Sac State also claimed a spot on our Best Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Read full report on California State University - Sacramento
Out of the 30 schools in California that were part of this year’s value ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the # 2 spot on the list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at CSULB are $17,784 per year. By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,477 in student loans.
Online graduate courses are available at CSULB, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 100% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - San Bernardino. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in San Bernardino, California, the fairly large public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at CSUSB are $18,151 a year.
CSUSB does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 100% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
The excellent graduate certificate programs at California State University - Los Angeles helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value teaching schools in California. Located in Los Angeles, California, the large public school awarded 60 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Cal State LA are $17,723 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Cal State LA does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 100% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Out of the 30 schools in California that were part of this year’s value ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the # 5 spot on the list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 10 students in 2020-2021.
Fresno State graduate students pay an average of $17,591 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Fresno State. In fact, around 98% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Brandman University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for teaching students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in Irvine, California, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Brandman graduate students pay an average of $12,720 in tuition and fees each year.
Since the graduate programs at Brandman are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
Brandman also made our Best Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California list, coming in at #2.
San Jose State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate teaching programs. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 7 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at San Jose State are $18,790 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since San Jose State does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 94% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
California State University - Northridge landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate teaching programs. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 graduate certificates to qualified students.
CSUN graduate students pay an average of $17,981 in tuition and fees each year.
Online graduate courses are available at CSUN, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 91% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
San Francisco State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 63 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at SFSU are $18,242 a year.
SFSU does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 93% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Irvine did quite well on this year’s best value schools for teaching students working on their graduate certificate. University of California - Irvine is a large public school located in Irvine, California that handed out 144 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UC Irvine are $28,458 a year.
One thing to take note of is that UC Irvine does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 95% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
In addition to its great value ranking, UC Irvine is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California list.
University of California - Berkeley landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate teaching programs. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 9 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UC Berkeley are $29,262 per year. Graduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $18,850 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UC Berkeley does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 90% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California list.
California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Located in Carson, California, the fairly large public school handed out 13 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at CSUDH are $17,998 per year.
One thing to take note of is that CSUDH does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 97% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
San Diego State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. This large public school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 38 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
SDSU graduate students pay an average of $19,074 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at SDSU. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 91% took at least some of their classes online.
National University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in La Jolla, California, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at National University are $15,480 a year.
One thing to take note of is that National University does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 48% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
University of California - Davis ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in Davis, California, the large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
UC Davis graduate students pay an average of $28,710 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UC Davis. In 2019-2020 about 52% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Mount Saint Mary’s University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. MSMU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at MSMU are $13,099 a year.
MSMU does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 99% took at least some of their classes online.
Loyola Marymount University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Loyola Marymount is located in Los Angeles, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 graduate certificates to qualified students.
Loyola Marymount graduate students pay an average of $19,922 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, Loyola Marymount is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.
Loyola Marymount did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California list.
Azusa Pacific University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate teaching programs. Azusa Pacific is located in Azusa, California and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 graduate certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Azusa Pacific are $16,696 per year.
Since the graduate programs at Azusa Pacific are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
With a ranking of #19, Claremont Graduate University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for teaching students working on their graduate certificate. Claremont Graduate University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Claremont, California that handed out 18 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Claremont Graduate University graduate students pay an average of $36,380 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Claremont Graduate University. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 67% took at least some of their classes online.
Claremont Graduate University also made our Best Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California list, coming in at #1.
Northcentral University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate teaching programs. Northcentral University is located in San Diego, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 153 graduate certificates to qualified students.
Northcentral University graduate students pay an average of $18,207 in tuition and fees each year. On average, graduate certificate students take out $22,015 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Northcentral University. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
California Lutheran University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in Thousand Oaks, California, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
CLU graduate students pay an average of $20,600 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since CLU does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.
University of Redlands did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for teaching students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #22 on the list. Redlands, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 9 students in 2020-2021.
University of Redlands graduate students pay an average of $23,532 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, University of Redlands is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.
Saint Mary’s College of California did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for teaching students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #23 on the list. Saint Mary’s College of California is a small private not-for-profit school located in Moraga, California that handed out 172 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at SMC are $33,357 a year.
SMC also took the #4 spot in our Best Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California rankings.
Holy Names University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Holy Names University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Oakland, California that handed out 27 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at HNU are $18,590 a year. On average, graduate certificate students take out $18,972 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Since the graduate programs at HNU are primarily online, it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
Alliant International University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Located in San Diego, California, the small private for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Alliant are $19,874 per year. By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $21,733 in student loans.
Alliant is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Best Value Teaching Graduate 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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