2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies (Income $75-$110k) in California
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking.
With 559,661 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, liberal arts general studies is the 1st most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 112,019 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,678 and $19,082 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,907 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 44 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts general studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts general studies 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 general studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies (Income $75-$110k) in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Soka University of America. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k. Aliso Viejo, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 93 students in 2019-2020.
Soka University also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Soka University is $14,519 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Soka University of America
Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 180 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,576 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal State LA.
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 General Studies at California State University - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Stanislaus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k. 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 also took the #18 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $12,381 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. 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 General Studies at California State University - Stanislaus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 485 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,819 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.
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%.
Full California State University - Fresno Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #5 spot on the list. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 150 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $10,904 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
California State University - Northridge ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 320 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
CSUN also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $15,346 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSUN.
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%.
California State University - Long Beach came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 240 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
CSULB also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $14,544 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
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 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Fullerton landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 125 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $12,916 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at California State University - Fullerton
California State University - San Bernardino came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 315 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $13,611 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #10, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 265 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $11,743 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a ranking of #11, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 108 students in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $22,585 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
San Diego State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 214 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,766 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Diego State University.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 142 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
UCR also took the #24 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $18,395 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 more about Liberal Arts General Studies at University of California - Riverside
California State University - Sacramento ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 189 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $15,812 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. CSUMB is located in Seaside, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 282 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
CSUMB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $17,719 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $17,944 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.
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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
With a ranking of #17, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. CSUSM is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 185 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUSM also took the #21 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,620 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - San Marcos Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Thomas Aquinas College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in Santa Paula, California, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at TAC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Thomas Aquinas College is $23,413 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Liberal Arts General Studies at Thomas Aquinas College
California State University - East Bay ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,710 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal State East Bay.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Cal State East Bay
San Francisco State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 125 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
SFSU also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $21,027 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $75-$110k.
San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 56 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students 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 General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $19,805 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Jose State University.
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%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at San Jose State University
California State University - Chico landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 210 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $19,444 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Chico.
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%.
Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #23. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 148 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
SSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $21,753 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.
California State University - Channel Islands came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Channel Islands is a medium-sized public school situated in Camarillo, California. It awarded 126 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUCI is $18,919 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at California State University - Channel Islands
Simpson University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Redding, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Simpson University is $18,994 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 General Studies at Simpson University
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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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