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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Psychology (Income $0-$30k) in California

69 Ranked Colleges
29,992 Degrees Awarded
$8,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Psychology is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 4th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 141,695 degrees were awarded to students with this major.

Across California, there were 29,992 general psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 69 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general psychology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general psychology programs and 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 general psychology program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Psychology (Income $0-$30k) in California

1

Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 684 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Psychology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,037 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Psychology at UCLA

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 812 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,590 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton General Psychology Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 367 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Psychology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $6,540 for California Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Psychology at University of California - Irvine

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 216 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Psychology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,823 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 General Psychology at UCSD

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 483 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,859 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 more about General Psychology at California State University - Fresno

6

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 511 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,657 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 General Psychology at CSUDH

7

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 535 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,663 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 California State University - Long Beach General Psychology Report

8

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 414 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,122 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stan State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, 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 undergraduate students.

Full Stan State General Psychology Report

9

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 881 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,266 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

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%.

Full California State University - Northridge General Psychology Report

10

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 585 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $5,985 for California Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full California State University - San Bernardino General Psychology Report

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 609 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Sac State has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Psychology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $8,163 for California Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read more about General Psychology at Sac State

12

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 520 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Psychology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,038 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

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%. 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 General Psychology at University of California - Santa Cruz

13
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #13, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 638 students in 2020-2021.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $7,169 for California Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Psychology at San Diego State University

14
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #14, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 188 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, USC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Psychology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $17,287 for California Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full USC General Psychology Report

15
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

Mt. San Antonio College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Walnut, California, this large public school handed out 385 diplomas to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Mt. SAC is $2,412 for California Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Psychology at Mt. SAC

16
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #16, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 515 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also made our “Best General Psychology Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $12,158 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Psychology at San Jose State

17
College of the Canyons crest
College of the Canyons
Santa Clarita, California

College of the Canyons came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Santa Clarita, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 263 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,300 for California Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend College of the Canyons.

Read more about General Psychology at College of the Canyons

18

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 430 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $9,975 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - East Bay General Psychology Report

19

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUB is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 280 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $5,238 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

Full CSUB General Psychology Report

20

University of California - Davis ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Psychology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $10,006 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Psychology at UC Davis

21

With a ranking of #21, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 336 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSM also made our “Best General Psychology Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $9,397 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSM.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Psychology at CSUSM

22

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 374 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $10,349 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on General Psychology at Cal Poly Pomona

23

California State University - Channel Islands did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. California State University - Channel Islands is a public institution located in Camarillo, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 356 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Channel Islands is $12,011 for California Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUCI General Psychology Report

24

California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUMB is a public institution located in Seaside, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 252 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUMB is $9,192 for california psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 General Psychology at CSUMB

25

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 366 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $11,754 for California Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on General Psychology at Chico State

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