2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
58
Ranked Colleges
8,530
Degrees Awarded
$7,600
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
Political Science & Government is the 20th most popular major in the country with 49,282 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,387 and had an average of $23,175 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 8,530 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,769 and $19,462 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 58 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science and government. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality political science and government programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the political science and government program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The political science 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 Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 86 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $1,233 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Stanford
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 Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Claremont McKenna College is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.
Claremont McKenna also took the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,387 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Claremont McKenna.
The impressive undergraduate 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. The undergrad 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 full report on Political Science & Government at Claremont McKenna
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 537 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,450 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 713 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,037 for California Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
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 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 & Government Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pomona College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pomona College is $8,629 for California Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 86%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Pomona College
With a ranking of #6, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 469 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,823 for California Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - San Diego
University of California - Davis came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 328 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also took the #7 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $10,006 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UC Davis Political Science & Government Report
University of California - Irvine landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 361 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UC Irvine Political Science & Government Report
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 102 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $1,887 for California Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Los Angeles Political Science & Government Report
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 328 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
UCSB also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $10,568 for California Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSB.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Political Science & Government Report
University of California - Riverside came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 282 students in 2020-2021.
UCR also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $6,810 for California Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Riverside
University of Southern California landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 150 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,287 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USC.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 & Government at USC
California State University - Fullerton ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 131 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,590 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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%.
Full California State University - Fullerton Political Science & Government Report
With a ranking of #14, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 200 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,663 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at California State University - Long Beach
California State University - Fresno ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 54 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,859 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at California State University - Fresno
With a ranking of #16, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 167 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State also took the #23 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Sac State
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 214 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $6,266 for California Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at California State University - Northridge
Santa Rosa Junior College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Santa Rosa Junior College 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.
It costs about $5,728 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SRJC.
Read more about Political Science & Government at SRJC
San Diego State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 162 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, SDSU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,169 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at SDSU
With a ranking of #20, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 201 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,038 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 85%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of California - Santa Cruz
California State University - San Bernardino came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $5,985 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 - San Bernardino Political Science & Government Report
Occidental College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 35 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
Oxy also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Oxy is $14,452 for California Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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.
Full Occidental College Political Science & Government Report
With a ranking of #23, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUB is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 27 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $5,238 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full California State University - Bakersfield Political Science & Government Report
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $4,122 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Stan State
With a ranking of #25, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 131 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $10,705 for california political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFSU.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at SFSU
