Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Political Science & Government

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

58 Ranked Colleges
5,712 Degrees Awarded
$33,047 Avg Salary
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 48,597 people earned their degree in political science and government, making the major the 21st most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,977 and had an average of $22,822 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 7,986 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,047 and $19,395 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,712 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 58 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science and government. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent political science and government programs, but they also cost less that 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 political science and government program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k”.

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. 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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, 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 Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Stanford also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $1,959 for california bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Stanford University

#2

Pomona College

Claremont, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, Pomona has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pomona College is $11,811 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Pomona College

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 692 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. 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 University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 482 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 96%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Berkeley

#5

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont McKenna College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Claremont McKenna is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 36 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Claremont McKenna not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $19,009 for california bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Claremont McKenna College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Claremont McKenna College

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 95 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $5,644 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at California State University - Los Angeles

#7

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 297 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,343 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UCSB

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 126 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,427 for california bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Political Science & Government Report

University of California - Irvine ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 307 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $13,648 for california bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of California - Irvine Political Science & Government Report

University of California - Davis ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 267 students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #12 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,578 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - 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.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Davis

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 390 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,071 for california bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - San Diego

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 247 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,290 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

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

Full UCR Political Science & Government Report

California State University - Fresno ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 67 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,549 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at California State University - Fresno

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 36 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,907 for california bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at CSUDH

California State University - Long Beach came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 172 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $10,807 for california bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Political Science & Government Report

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,772 for california bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

California State University - Northridge came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 185 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $10,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at CSUN

#18

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

With a ranking of #18, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,924 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUSB.

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 full report on Political Science & Government at CSUSB

#19

Pitzer College

Claremont, California
#9 in overall quality

Pitzer College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitzer, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pitzer is $15,939 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Pitzer College

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 174 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,413 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 - Sacramento Political Science & Government Report

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school handed out 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $7,564 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full CSUB Political Science & Government Report

#22

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#15 in overall quality

Occidental College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Occidental College 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $19,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Occidental College.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Oxy Political Science & Government Report

#23

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 109 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,730 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Diego State University.

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 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Diego State University Political Science & Government Report

#24

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 163 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #22 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $15,253 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Political Science & Government Report

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 70 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $19,407 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Political Science & Government Report

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