2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k
58
Ranked Colleges
8,360
Degrees Awarded
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Political Science is the 13th most popular major in the country with 47,549 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across California, there were 8,360 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 58 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great political science programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the political science 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
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science (Income $48-$75k) 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 Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 86 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,081 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read more about Political Science at Stanford
Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 537 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,423 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UC Berkeley Political Science Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 713 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,644 for california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad 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 more about Political Science at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Pomona College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,365 for california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Pomona College.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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.
Read full report on Political Science at Pomona
Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 279 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,193 for california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Davis.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad 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%.
Full University of California - Davis Political Science Report
With a ranking of #6, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 361 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,275 for california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Irvine.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Irvine Political Science Report
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 102 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $5,700 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full California State University - Los Angeles Political Science Report
University of California - San Diego ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 409 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,310 for california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UCSD Political Science Report
University of California - Riverside came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 256 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR also took the #13 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $11,126 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. 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 University of California - Riverside
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 328 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSB has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $14,583 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Political Science Report
With a ranking of #11, Claremont McKenna College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 38 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, Claremont McKenna has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Claremont McKenna is $15,962 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science at Claremont McKenna
California State University - Fresno ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 54 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $8,030 for california poly sci 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science at California State University - Fresno
Santa Rosa Junior College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SRJC is a public institution located in Santa Rosa, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Santa Rosa Junior College is $8,738 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read more about Political Science at SRJC
California State University - Long Beach ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 200 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSULB has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $11,189 for california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Long Beach Political Science Report
California State University - Fullerton landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 131 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $9,017 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full California State University - Fullerton Political Science Report
University of Southern California ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 121 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, USC has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $22,826 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Political Science at University of Southern California
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 167 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, Sac State has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,602 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sac State.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Sac State Political Science Report
California State University - Northridge came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 214 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $10,780 for california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Full California State University - Northridge Political Science Report
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 201 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $15,567 for california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 UC Santa Cruz
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $9,854 for california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full California State University - San Bernardino Political Science Report
San Diego State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 162 students in 2020-2021.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,698 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Political Science at SDSU
Pitzer College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 13 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Pitzer did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,630 for california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Pitzer.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Political Science at Pitzer
California State University - Bakersfield came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $9,102 for california poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUB.
Full CSUB Political Science Report
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $7,976 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
Full Stan State Political Science Report
With a ranking of #25, American River College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,806 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend American River.
Full American River College Political Science Report
