College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for General Economics (Income $30-$48k) in California

36 Ranked Colleges
5,405 Degrees Awarded
$9,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 28,837 people earned their degree in general economics, making the major the 29th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 5,405 general economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 36 colleges that offered a degree in general economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general economics 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 general economics program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Economics Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More General Economics Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Economics (Income $30-$48k) in California

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 394 diplomas to qualified ’s general economics students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Economics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $8,449 for California General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 - Irvine General Economics Report

2
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pitzer College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified ’s general economics students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california general economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Pitzer has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Economics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pitzer is $17,181 for California General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Pitzer General Economics Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,655 for California General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at Fresno State

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,701 for California General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 more about General Economics at California State University - Los Angeles

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 73 diplomas to qualified ’s general economics students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california general economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Economics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $5,821 for California General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Fullerton General Economics Report

6
SRJC crest
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California

Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. SRJC is a public institution located in Santa Rosa, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SRJC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best General Economics Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Santa Rosa Junior College is $5,800 for California General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Economics at SRJC

7

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 214 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Economics Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,055 for california general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on General Economics at California State University - Sacramento

8
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #8, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 259 ’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Economics Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,274 for california general economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Diego State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Full SDSU General Economics Report

9

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 123 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Economics Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $12,049 for California General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Santa Cruz General Economics Report

10
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 18 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Economics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $17,345 for California General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on General Economics at USC

11

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 15 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,903 for california general economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stan State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, 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.

Full California State University - Stanislaus General Economics Report

12

California State University - Long Beach came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 84 ’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california general economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSULB has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Economics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,573 for California General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSULB.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about General Economics at CSULB

13

California State University - Northridge landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 95 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN also made our “Best General Economics Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $7,103 for california general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at CSUN

14

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 14 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $6,046 for California General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full California State University - Bakersfield General Economics Report

15

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 46 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State East Bay also made our “Best General Economics Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $11,025 for california general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on General Economics at California State University - East Bay

16

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 26 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $6,613 for california general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at CSUSB

17
American River crest
American River College
Sacramento, California

With a ranking of #17, American River College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 48 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for American River College is $5,547 for California General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Economics at American River College

18
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #18, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 126 students in 2020-2021.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Economics Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,378 for California General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Jose State.

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

Full San Jose State University General Economics Report

19

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 97 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Economics Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,194 for california general economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

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 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

20

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 54 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,992 for california general economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

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

Read more about General Economics at Cal Poly Pomona

21

California State University - San Marcos ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.

CSUSM also made our “Best General Economics Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $10,348 for California General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on General Economics at California State University - San Marcos

22
MSJC crest
Mt. San Jacinto College
San Jacinto, California

Mt. San Jacinto College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Jacinto, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,715 for california general economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend MSJC.

Full MSJC General Economics Report

23
Antelope Valley College crest
Antelope Valley College
Lancaster, California

Antelope Valley College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Antelope Valley College is a fairly large public school situated in Lancaster, California. It awarded 39 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Antelope Valley College is $9,465 for california general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Antelope Valley College General Economics Report

24
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #24, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 75 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

SFSU also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $11,862 for california general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Economics at SFSU

25
East Los Angeles College crest
East Los Angeles College
Monterey Park, California

East Los Angeles College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. East Los Angeles College is a large public school situated in Monterey Park, California. It awarded 109 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,950 for California General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend East Los Angeles College.

Read full report on General Economics at East Los Angeles College

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options