2023 Best Value Colleges for Mathematics in California (With Aid)
22
Ranked Colleges
7,234
Degrees Awarded
$15,300
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 30,202 people earned their degree in mathematics, making the major the 35th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, mathematics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $45,168 and had an average of $21,863 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 7,234 mathematics graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,654 and $15,933 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in mathematics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent mathematics 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 mathematics program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Mathematics Schools
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 Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Mathematics in California (With Aid)
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 215 diplomas to qualified ’s math students in 2020-2021.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for california math students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mathematics at UCLA
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 240 ’s math degrees to qualified students.
UCSD also took the #5 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for california math students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Mathematics at University of California - San Diego
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 144 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california math students with aid list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,032 for california math students with aid per year to attend UC Berkeley.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mathematics at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 153 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also took the #4 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $15,768 for California Math students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 93%.
Read full report on Mathematics at UC Davis
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 330 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,209 for California Math students with aid per year to attend UC Irvine.
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 undergrad 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 University of California - Irvine Mathematics Report
California State University - Long Beach came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s math degrees to 135 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california math students with aid list, CSULB has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,054 for California Math students with aid.
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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CSULB Mathematics Report
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 189 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,252 for California Math students with aid per year to attend UCSB.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mathematics at UCSB
With a ranking of #8, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 208 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $11,822 for California Math students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Full University of California - Riverside Mathematics Report
California State University - Northridge ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 76 ’s math degrees to qualified students.
CSUN also made our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,523 for california math students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Read more about Mathematics at CSUN
California State University - San Bernardino ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 76 diplomas to qualified ’s math students in 2020-2021.
CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $8,107 for California Math students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Mathematics at CSUSB
California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 41 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUDH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,026 for California Math students with aid per year to attend CSUDH.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mathematics at California State University - Dominguez Hills
California State University - Sacramento came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 78 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,178 for california math students with aid per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Sac State Mathematics Report
California State University - East Bay came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State East Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,298 for california math students with aid per year to attend California State University - East Bay.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - East Bay Mathematics Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 136 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $14,304 for california math students with aid.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mathematics at Cal Poly Pomona
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 142 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $17,930 for California Math students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mathematics at UC Santa Cruz
With a ranking of #16, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s math degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,845 for California Math students with aid per year to attend SDSU.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mathematics at SDSU
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 62 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #8 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for california math students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mathematics at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
San Jose State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 32 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $16,542 for california math students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mathematics at San Jose State
California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUMB is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California. It awarded 22 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUMB also took the #21 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,597 for California Math students with aid per year to attend CSUMB.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Mathematics at California State University - Monterey Bay
With a ranking of #20, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 17 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.
Humboldt State University also made our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $14,956 for California Math students with aid per year to attend Humboldt State University.
Read full report on Mathematics at Humboldt State University
With a ranking of #21, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 31 degrees to qualified ’s math students in 2020-2021.
USC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $32,569 for california math students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Mathematics at University of Southern California
Occidental College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 degrees to qualified ’s math students in 2020-2021.
Oxy also took the #10 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Occidental College is $34,032 for California Math students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Mathematics at Occidental College
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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
- *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.
