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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $75-$110k) in California

44 Ranked Colleges
5,907 Degrees Awarded
$16,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $75-$110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

With 559,661 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, liberal arts / sciences and humanities is the 3rd most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, liberal arts / sciences and humanities 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 / sciences and humanities 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 / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 44 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.

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 Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $75-$110k) in California

#1

Soka University of America

Aliso Viejo, California
#9 in overall quality

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 / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Aliso Viejo, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 93 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k list, Soka University has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,519 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Soka University of America.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Soka University of America

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 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. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 180 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $9,576 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Cal State LA

#18 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Stanislaus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 235 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Stan State also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $12,381 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Stan State

#22 in overall quality

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 / Sciences & Humanities 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 / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $11,819 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Fresno State

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 Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 150 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,904 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

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 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#12 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 320 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $15,346 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at CSUN

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 240 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $14,544 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at CSULB

California State University - Fullerton came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cal State 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 / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Cal State Fullerton Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 315 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $13,611 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full California State University - San Bernardino Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. California State University - Bakersfield is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 265 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $11,743 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full CSUB Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 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 / sciences and humanities 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 / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $22,585 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#12

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 214 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,766 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Diego State University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#13

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#24 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - Riverside is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 142 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,395 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full UCR Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 189 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $15,812 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities 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 / Sciences & Humanities at California State University - Sacramento

#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Monterey Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California. It awarded 282 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUMB, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,719 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Monterey Bay.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at CSUMB

#25 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $17,944 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#21 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 185 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSM also took the #21 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $18,620 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at California State University - San Marcos

#18

Thomas Aquinas College

Santa Paula, California
#7 in overall quality

Thomas Aquinas College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Santa Paula, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 95 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

TAC also took the #7 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $23,413 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend TAC.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at TAC

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 95 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $17,710 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Cal State East Bay Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#20

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 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 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k list, SFSU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $21,027 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at San Francisco State University

#21

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 56 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k list, San Jose State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $19,805 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full San Jose State University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

California State University - Chico landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 210 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,444 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at California State University - Chico

#23

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#15 in overall quality

Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #23. SSU is located in Rohnert Park, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 148 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k list, SSU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SSU is $21,753 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities 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%.

Full SSU Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

California State University - Channel Islands came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k 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 arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUCI is $18,919 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities 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 more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at CSUCI

#25

Simpson University

Redding, California

Simpson University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #25. Simpson University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Redding, California. It awarded 33 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Simpson University is $18,994 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Full Simpson University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

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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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