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2023 Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $75-$110k) in California

52 Ranked Colleges
26,792 Degrees Awarded
$17,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

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 Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Education is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 4th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 327,871 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $46,202 and had an average of $24,437 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 26,792 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,949 and $23,652 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 52 colleges that offered a degree in education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great education programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

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

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $75-$110k) in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 52 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 146 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Education Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $13,623 for California Education students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Education at Stanford

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 829 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,011 for California Education students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Education at Cal State LA

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 982 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Education Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $12,977 for California Education students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. 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 more about Education at California State University - Fullerton

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 534 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,789 for california education students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Education at California State University - Fresno

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Bakersfield. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. CSUB is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 311 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $13,441 for california education students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Education at CSUB

6

California State University - Sacramento landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 843 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Education Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $16,925 for california education students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at Sac State

7

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 265 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best Education Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $20,697 for california education students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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 more about Education at UCLA

8

California State University - Northridge landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 713 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $15,380 for California Education students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 CSUN Education Report

9

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 225 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,338 for California Education students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSUSB.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Education at CSUSB

10

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 222 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $15,101 for California Education students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSULB.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Education at CSULB

11

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 457 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $11,085 for California Education students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at California State University - Dominguez Hills

12

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 131 students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “Best Education Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $18,728 for california education students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at UC Davis

13

University of California - Irvine landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 656 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Education Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $20,567 for california education students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read full report on Education at University of California - Irvine

14

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 132 students in 2020-2021.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Education Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $20,906 for California Education students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 undergraduate students.

Full University of California - San Diego Education Report

15

University of California - Riverside landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 348 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Education Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $16,887 for california education students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 91%.

Full University of California - Riverside Education Report

16

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 186 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $12,642 for California Education students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, 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%.

Full Stan State Education Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 107 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Education Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $22,380 for California Education students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Education at UC Santa Cruz

18
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 630 students in 2020-2021.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Education Schools in California” list. It costs about $18,957 for California Education students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SDSU.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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%.

Full SDSU Education Report

19
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. Fresno, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 195 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california education students whose families make $75-$110k list, Fresno Pacific has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Education Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $19,857 for California Education students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Fresno Pacific.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Fresno Pacific University

20

University of California - Berkeley ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 118 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Education Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $21,601 for california education students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at UC Berkeley

21
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 574 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $21,035 for California Education students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Jose State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at San Jose State

22

California State University - East Bay landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school awarded 301 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $18,874 for california education students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at Cal State East Bay

23
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 565 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $20,159 for california education students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at SFSU

24

California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 221 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $18,439 for California Education students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 full report on Education at CSUSM

25

California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. CSUMB is a medium-sized school located in Seaside, California that handed out 94 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $18,412 for california education students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Education at CSUMB

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