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

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

General Education is the 35th most popular major in the country with 29,936 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, general education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,138 and had an average of $29,674 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 7,838 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,089 and $30,845 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 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general education 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.

More Ways to Rank General Education Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value 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. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 367 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Education at University of California - 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 Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,974 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full UCSD General Education Report

#3

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at University of Southern California

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanguard University of Southern California landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Costa Mesa, California, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Vanguard has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanguard University of Southern California is $14,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Full Vanguard General Education Report

#5

Hope International University

Fullerton, California
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hope International University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Hope International University is a small school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 21 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Hope has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,998 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Hope.

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

Read full report on General Education at Hope International University

The University of Arizona Global Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The University of Arizona Global Campus is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 204 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UAGC also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $20,998 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Arizona Global Campus.

Read more about General Education at UAGC

#7

Mills College

Oakland, California
#10 in overall quality

Mills College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mills is a small school located in Oakland, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Mills has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mills College is $19,300 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at Mills

#8

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#6 in overall quality

Biola University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. La Mirada, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Biola has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Biola University is $25,855 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at Biola

#9

Chapman University

Orange, California

Chapman University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chapman University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Orange, California. It awarded 46 bachelors’s 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. It costs about $31,826 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Chapman.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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%.

Full Chapman General Education Report

#10

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSMU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $27,376 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University.

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 low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Read more about General Education at MSMU

#11

University of La Verne

La Verne, California
#12 in overall quality

University of La Verne ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of La Verne 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k list, ULV has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ULV is $23,427 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national 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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