2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Education in California
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.
With 310,601 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, education is the 4th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,887 and had an average of $30,244 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 24,764 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,134 and $37,359 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,971 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” ranking analyzed 47 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the 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.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
The 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 Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California”.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Education in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 352 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree education students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 518 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State Fullerton also took the #3 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree education students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - San Marcos landed the #3 spot on the list. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students list, CSUSM has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree education students.
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 Education at California State University - San Marcos
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 82 students in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Education at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 496 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree education students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 162 students in 2019-2020.
Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree education students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
San Jose State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 248 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree education students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Bakersfield came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 114 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUB also took the #20 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $5,318 for california bachelor’s degree education students.
Full California State University - Bakersfield Education Report
With a ranking of #9, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Education at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
San Francisco State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 198 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend San Francisco State University.
California State University - Chico came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 72 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree education students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Education at California State University - Chico
With a ranking of #12, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 153 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.
UCR also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Education at University of California - Riverside
With a ranking of #13, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 115 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,478 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Sonoma State University.
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%.
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 423 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.
Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree education students.
The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 California State University - Los Angeles
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 10 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend CSUSB.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full California State University - San Bernardino Education Report
University of California - Irvine ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 388 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Brandman University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Brandman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students list, Brandman has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brandman University is $21,604 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
With a ranking of #19, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
UCLA also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree education students.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Education at University of California - Los Angeles
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #20. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 17 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSD also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
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 94%.
California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 194 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
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%.
Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Education Report
San Diego State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 157 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree education students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #23, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 56 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #24, California State University - Channel Islands did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Camarillo, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 59 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUCI is $13,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Channel Islands Education Report
With a ranking of #25, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students list, UC Davis has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend UC Davis.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Education at University of California - Davis
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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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