2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $48-$75k) in California
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Liberal Arts is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 2nd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 365,980 degrees were awarded to students with this major.
Across California, there were 94,556 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,493 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 43 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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.
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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 California For Those Making $48-$75k”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $48-$75k) in California
Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 180 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $5,644 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Los Angeles
Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Stanislaus landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 235 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Stan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,772 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k 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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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 Soka University of America. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Aliso Viejo, California, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, Soka University has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Soka University of America is $15,583 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #4 spot on the 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $7,549 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 129 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $6,907 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 320 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUN also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $10,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Northridge Liberal Arts Report
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 240 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,807 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 315 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $8,924 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
California State University - Fullerton landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 125 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $9,427 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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 89%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at California State University - Fullerton
University of California - Riverside landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 142 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCR has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,290 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
California State University - Bakersfield came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 265 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $7,564 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a ranking of #13, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 206 students in 2019-2020.
SDSU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,730 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SDSU.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 177 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 - Sacramento Liberal Arts Report
California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 138 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
CSUMB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $13,311 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 California State University - Monterey Bay Liberal Arts Report
With a ranking of #16, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 185 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSUSM has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,582 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.
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 Liberal Arts at California State University - San Marcos
San Francisco State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 115 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $16,661 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a ranking of #18, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $13,048 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a ranking of #19, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly Pomona also took the #24 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $14,012 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. 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 full report on Liberal Arts at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
California State University - Channel Islands came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Channel Islands is located in Camarillo, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 126 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend CSUCI is $15,108 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at California State University - Channel Islands
San Jose State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 47 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $16,397 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #22, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 205 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Chico State.
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 more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Chico
Sonoma State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, SSU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,644 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k 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%.
With a ranking of #24, Thomas Aquinas College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. TAC is a small school located in Santa Paula, California that handed out 95 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
TAC also took the #7 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,536 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Thomas Aquinas College.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Humphreys University is a small school located in Stockton, California that handed out 6 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Humphreys University is $14,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses Liberal Arts Report
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $48-$75k)
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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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