2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in California (With Aid)
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Economics is the 18th most popular major in the country with 48,831 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.
This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 48 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in economics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality economics programs that also have a lower cost than 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 economics program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in California (With Aid)
Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Claremont McKenna College landed the #1 spot on the list. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 118 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Claremont McKenna, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna is $22,161 for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 87%, 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 Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 90 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
Stanford also took the #2 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,496 for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend Stanford.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 #4 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 824 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
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 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #5 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 751 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid 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 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%.
Read more about Economics at University of California - Berkeley
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 441 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 51 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full California State University - Fullerton Economics Report
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 703 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Fresno landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, 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 87%.
University of California - Riverside ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 263 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.
UCR also took the #18 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 403 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend University of California - San Diego.
The school has an impressive 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California State University - Stanislaus landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.
The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #13, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Economics Report
California State University - Long Beach came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Davis came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - 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.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, UC Davis has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Economics at University of California - Davis
San Diego State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 236 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California State University - Bakersfield landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $5,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
Full California State University - Bakersfield Economics Report
California State University - Sacramento came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Sacramento 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 California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
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%.
California State University - San Bernardino ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 35 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
San Jose State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 127 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.
San Jose State also took the #23 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #21, California State University - Channel Islands did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Channel Islands is a public institution located in Camarillo, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Channel Islands is $13,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
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 California State University - Channel Islands Economics Report
California State University - San Marcos landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
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 California State University - San Marcos Economics Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 44 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid 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 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%.
San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 76 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 165 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $18,186 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
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%.
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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.
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