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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

52 Ranked Colleges
6,506 Degrees Awarded
$8,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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 Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 365,980 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, liberal arts is the 2nd most popular major in the United States.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 119,619 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,506 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 52 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the liberal arts program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The liberal studies 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 Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

Out of the 52 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 180 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $1,379 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Liberal Arts Report

#18 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Stanislaus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 235 students in 2019-2020.

Stan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $3,410 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stan State.

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 low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Liberal Arts at California State University - Stanislaus

#22 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 485 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, 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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Fresno

#12 in overall quality

Out of the 52 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 320 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $5,945 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full California State University - Northridge Liberal Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 129 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,455 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#6

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#11 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 206 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $8,870 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SDSU Liberal Arts Report

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 240 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,364 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 89%.

Full CSULB Liberal Arts Report

California State University - Fullerton came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 125 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $4,291 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Liberal Arts Report

#1 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#10

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 315 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,077 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

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

Read full report on Liberal Arts at CSUSB

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#24 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 142 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

UCR also took the #24 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $8,366 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at University of California - Riverside

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUB is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 265 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $3,423 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Bakersfield

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 177 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,819 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

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%.

Full Sac State Liberal Arts Report

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 138 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUMB also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $7,688 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUMB.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Monterey Bay Liberal Arts Report

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 185 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSM also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $9,517 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 California State University - San Marcos Liberal Arts Report

California State University - East Bay ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school awarded 95 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,036 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - East Bay

#25 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 130 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $8,596 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Cal Poly Pomona

#18

The Evergreen State College

Olympia, Washington

With a ranking of #18, The Evergreen State College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Olympia, Washington, and it awarded 628 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,881 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Evergreen.

Full Evergreen Liberal Arts Report

#19

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#20 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 115 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $11,123 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFSU.

Full SFSU Liberal Arts Report

#20

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii

University of Hawaii at Manoa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Honolulu, Hawaii, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Hawaii at Manoa is $10,986 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full UH Manoa Liberal Arts Report

#21

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#19 in overall quality

San Jose State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $10,940 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full San Jose State Liberal Arts Report

California State University - Chico came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 205 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,260 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Chico State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico Liberal Arts Report

#23

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#15 in overall quality

Sonoma State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 148 students in 2019-2020.

SSU also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $12,263 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SSU.

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%.

Full SSU Liberal Arts Report

#24

Thomas Aquinas College

Santa Paula, California
#7 in overall quality

Thomas Aquinas College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Thomas Aquinas College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Paula, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

TAC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Thomas Aquinas College is $19,672 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Thomas Aquinas College Liberal Arts Report

California State University - Channel Islands landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Camarillo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 126 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Channel Islands is $10,131 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 more about Liberal Arts at CSUCI

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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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