2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

With 133,583 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, general studies is the 5th most popular major in the United States.

Across California, there were 354 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 298 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,451 and $19,634 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 4 colleges that offered a degree in general studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general studies 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 studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 Studies Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid.

Top 4 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for General Studies in California (With Aid)

#1

National University

La Jolla, California

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend National University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 103 associates’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

National University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in California” list.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Read more about General Studies at National University

#2

Brandman University

Irvine, California

#1 in overall quality

$21,604 Average Net Price

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brandman University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 135 associates’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Brandman also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brandman is $21,604 for California Associate Degree General Studies students with aid.

Full Brandman General Studies Report

#3

Life Pacific College

San Dimas, California

#3 in overall quality

$20,865 Average Net Price

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Life Pacific College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in San Dimas, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified associates’s general studies students in 2019-2020.

LIFE Bible College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Life Pacific College is $20,865 for California Associate Degree General Studies students with aid.

Read more about General Studies at Life Pacific College

#4

University of La Verne

La Verne, California

#4 in overall quality

$25,780 Average Net Price

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of La Verne landed the #4 spot on the list. University of La Verne is a medium-sized school located in La Verne, California that handed out 24 associates’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

ULV did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $25,780 for California Associate Degree General Studies students with aid per year to attend ULV.

The low 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%.

Read full report on General Studies at University of La Verne

• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for General Studies in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for General Studies (With Aid)

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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