2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Information Science (Income $30-$48k) in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 18,368 people earned their degree in information science, making the major the 56th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, information science graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $58,848 and had an average of $32,600 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 429 information science graduates with average earnings and debt of $83,550 and $37,755 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 32 information science graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 3 colleges that offered a degree in information science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality information science programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the information science program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The is school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 3 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Information Science (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California

#1 in overall quality

$3,756 Average Net Price

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Caltech is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s IS degrees to qualified students.

Caltech also made our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of Technology is $3,756 for california bachelor’s degree is students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full California Institute of Technology Information Science Report

#2

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

#2 in overall quality

$9,151 Average Net Price

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Riverside landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 26 bachelors’s IS degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,151 for California Bachelor’s Degree IS students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Information Science at University of California - Riverside

#3

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, California

#3 in overall quality

$18,578 Average Net Price

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Lutheran University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California Lutheran University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Thousand Oaks, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s IS degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CLU, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Lutheran University is $18,578 for california bachelor’s degree is students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Information Science at CLU

• Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Information Science (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region
• Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Information Science (Income $30-$48k)

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.

Credits

• Credit for the banner image above goes to The Opte Project.

Featured Information Systems Schools

Request Info

Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More >