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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Biology Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California

59 Ranked Colleges
8,604 Degrees Awarded
$7,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 91,804 biology studies students received their degree, making the major the 6th most popular in the country.

Across California, there were 12,835 biology studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,604 biology studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 59 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in biology studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great biology studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the biology studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Biology Studies Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Biology Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $-1,387 for california bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Biology Studies at Stanford University

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 233 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,392 for california bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Biology Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 143 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biological sciences students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at Cal State LA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Stanislaus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to 110 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $3,410 for california bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full California State University - Stanislaus Biology Studies Report

#13 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #5 spot on the list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 770 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Biology Studies at University of California - Irvine

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 555 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Biology Studies Report

California State University - Fresno came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to 167 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Fresno State Biology Studies Report

California State University - Fullerton ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 212 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Biology Studies Report

#9

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#18 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 284 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Biology Studies at San Diego State University

#10

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to 368 students in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSB.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at UCSB

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at CSUDH

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to 543 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at UCR

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 341 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Biology Studies at University of California - Davis

California State University - Long Beach landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 247 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Biology Studies at CSULB

#10 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 302 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Biology Studies at UCSD

#23 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 269 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biological sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Biology Studies Report

California State University - Northridge ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 282 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biological sciences students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUN.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at California State University - Northridge

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. University of California - Merced is a medium-sized school located in Merced, California that handed out 287 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Merced, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,782 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Merced.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Merced Biology Studies Report

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 197 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,423 for california bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Biology Studies Report

#21

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 329 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also made our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Biology Studies at SFSU

#25 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to 142 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $8,036 for california bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Biology Studies at California State University - East Bay

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 218 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Biology Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,596 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Biology Studies at Cal Poly Pomona

California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. California State University - San Marcos is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 175 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $9,517 for california bachelor’s degree biological sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Biology Studies at California State University - San Marcos

#25

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biological Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 152 bachelors’s biological sciences degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biological Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Biology Studies at CSUSB

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Notes and References

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%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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