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2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

11 Ranked Colleges
697 Degrees Awarded
$19,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 29,936 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 28th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 7,838 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 697 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 11 colleges that offered a degree in general education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general education programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The general education 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 General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

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

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

Top 11 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $30-$48k) in California

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 367 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Education at UC Irvine

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 11 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,974 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Education at University of California - San Diego

#3

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USC.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about General Education at University of Southern California

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanguard University of Southern California. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Vanguard University of Southern California is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Costa Mesa, California. It awarded 12 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanguard also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanguard University of Southern California.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at Vanguard University of Southern California

#5

Hope International University

Fullerton, California
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Hope International University landed the #5 spot on the list. Hope is located in Fullerton, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.

Hope not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Hope is $16,998 for california bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 General Education at Hope International University

#8 in overall quality

The University of Arizona Global Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UAGC is a large private for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 204 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

UAGC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $20,998 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UAGC.

Full The University of Arizona Global Campus General Education Report

#7

Mills College

Oakland, California
#10 in overall quality

Mills College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Mills is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oakland, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Mills did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $19,300 for california bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Mills.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 General Education at Mills College

#8

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#6 in overall quality

Biola University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Biola is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Mirada, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Biola not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Biola University is $25,855 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on General Education at Biola University

#9

Chapman University

Orange, California
#4 in overall quality

Chapman University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Orange, California, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chapman, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chapman is $31,826 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about General Education at Chapman

#10

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California
#7 in overall quality

Mount Saint Mary’s University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mount Saint Mary’s University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 4 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

MSMU also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University is $27,376 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Mount Saint Mary’s University General Education Report

#11

University of La Verne

La Verne, California
#12 in overall quality

University of La Verne landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. ULV is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Verne, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

ULV also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ULV is $23,427 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at University of La Verne

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to KOKUYO.

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