2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 48,831 people earned their degree in economics, making the major the 18th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,295 and had an average of $21,978 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 9,937 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $47,367 and $16,994 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,426 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 48 colleges that offer a degree in economics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great economics programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the economics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $-1,387 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford University. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.
The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont McKenna College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
Claremont McKenna also took the #1 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna is $8,566 for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pomona College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Pomona College is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.
Pomona also took the #3 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,945 for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pomona.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 751 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 824 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 Economics Report
University of California - Irvine came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 441 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 23 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low 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 California State University - Los Angeles Economics Report
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 703 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB also took the #7 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,316 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Pitzer College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
Pitzer also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Pitzer College is $15,922 for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Davis landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 606 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Davis.
The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of California - Riverside ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 263 students in 2019-2020.
UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,366 for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCR.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 51 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at California State University - Fullerton
University of California - San Diego ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 403 students in 2019-2020.
UCSD also took the #12 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
San Diego State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 236 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
SDSU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $3,264 for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Stanislaus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school awarded 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $3,410 for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Long Beach came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Economics at California State University - Long Beach
California State University - Northridge ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 118 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school handed out 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $3,423 for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
California State University - Sacramento landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 195 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Sacramento Economics Report
With a ranking of #21, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 35 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 California State University - San Bernardino Economics Report
Occidental College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Occidental College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 80 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oxy, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oxy is $13,146 for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 52 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #16 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for california bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Economics at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 165 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $10,872 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 85%.
University of Southern California landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 183 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
USC also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $14,668 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USC.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Economics at University of Southern California
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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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