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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Economics (Income $48-$75k) in California

36 Ranked Colleges
2,323 Degrees Awarded
Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 31,150 people earned their degree in general economics, making the major the 22nd most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 5,348 general economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,323 general economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 36 colleges that offer 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general economics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The general economics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k”.

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 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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Economics (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 131 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCLA.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles General Economics Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 23 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $5,644 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full Cal State LA General Economics Report

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 349 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $13,648 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full University of California - Irvine General Economics Report

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Riverside landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 154 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,290 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Riverside General Economics Report

#18 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 51 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $9,427 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full Cal State Fullerton General Economics Report

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $7,549 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on General Economics at California State University - Fresno

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $7,772 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at California State University - Stanislaus

#8

Pitzer College

Claremont, California
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Pitzer College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Pitzer College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Pitzer has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pitzer College is $15,939 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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.

Read full report on General Economics at Pitzer

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSULB has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,807 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on General Economics at CSULB

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $10,783 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full California State University - Northridge General Economics Report

#11

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#10 in overall quality

San Diego State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 236 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,730 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k 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 student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 SDSU

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. California State University - Bakersfield is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,564 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUB.

Read full report on General Economics at CSUB

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 195 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Sac State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sac State.

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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento General Economics Report

#14

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,924 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUSB.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about General Economics at CSUSB

#15

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 125 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $15,253 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full UC Santa Cruz General Economics Report

#6 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo General Economics Report

#17

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#13 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 127 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $16,397 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, 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 students.

Read full report on General Economics at San Jose State

#17 in overall quality

California State University - Channel Islands ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUCI is located in Camarillo, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

CSUCI also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Channel Islands is $15,108 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 General Economics at California State University - Channel Islands

With a ranking of #19, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 66 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $14,582 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUSM General Economics Report

#20

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#22 in overall quality

San Francisco State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $16,661 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Economics at SFSU

#24 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $14,012 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. 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 Economics at Cal Poly Pomona

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. UC Merced is a medium-sized school located in Merced, California that handed out 13 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,922 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Merced.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 86%.

Read more about General Economics at University of California - Merced

#23

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#19 in overall quality

Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

SSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $17,644 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Sonoma State University General Economics Report

#25 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 33 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Chico State has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,116 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $48-$75k 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 full report on General Economics at Chico State

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,048 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

Full Cal State East Bay General Economics 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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.

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