Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $30-$48k) in California

57 Ranked Colleges
5,328 Degrees Awarded
$8,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

Political Science is the 14th most popular major in the country with 46,740 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 7,602 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,328 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 57 colleges that offer a degree in political science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality political science programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the political science program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The poly sci 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 Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 57 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $1,145 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford University.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Stanford University Political Science Report

#2

Pomona College

Claremont, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pomona College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pomona, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pomona is $8,655 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Pomona Political Science Report

#3

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont McKenna College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 36 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Claremont McKenna also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna College is $6,591 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. 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 Political Science at Claremont McKenna College

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 482 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $9,130 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Political Science at University of California - Berkeley

#5

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #5 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 692 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,254 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Political Science Report

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,117 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Political Science at Cal State LA

#14 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 307 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,373 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Irvine.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at UC Irvine

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 126 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $6,100 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Political Science Report

California State University - Fresno ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 67 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,731 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 Fresno State Political Science Report

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $3,115 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low 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%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Political Science Report

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 213 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCR has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,151 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full University of California - Riverside Political Science Report

#12

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 297 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCSB Political Science Report

#11 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 120 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCSD has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,974 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 UCSD Political Science Report

#24 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 172 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $7,595 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Political Science Report

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 20 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $3,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science at California State University - Stanislaus

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 224 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,769 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Davis.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Davis Political Science Report

California State University - Northridge landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 185 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $6,883 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Political Science Report

#18

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 61 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $5,869 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci 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.

Full CSUSB Political Science Report

#19

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#25 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 109 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,594 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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.

Read full report on Political Science at San Diego State University

California State University - Sacramento ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 174 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,823 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

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%.

Read more about Political Science at Sac State

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,880 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

Read full report on Political Science at CSUB

#22

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#15 in overall quality

Occidental College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Oxy is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Oxy also took the #15 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,662 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oxy.

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. 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at Occidental College

#23

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#6 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 144 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science at USC

#18 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 70 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $14,680 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%.

Read more about Political Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#25

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#22 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 163 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $11,793 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

Read more about Political Science at University of California - Santa Cruz

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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

Featured Political and Social Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You