2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k
58
Ranked Colleges
8,530
Degrees Awarded
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 49,282 people earned their degree in political science and government, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States. 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 58 colleges that offer a degree in political science and government. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great political science and government programs and 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 $48-$75k”.
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 Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $48-$75k) 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 $48-$75k list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 86 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $7,081 for California Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Stanford
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 537 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $13,423 for california political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of California - Berkeley
Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools 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. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 713 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $12,644 for California Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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.
Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pomona College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Pomona 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.
In addition to being on our california political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, Pomona has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pomona College is $9,365 for California 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. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Pomona
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 328 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also took the #7 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $14,193 for california political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Davis
With a ranking of #6, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 361 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,275 for california political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Irvine.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 University of California - Irvine Political Science & Government Report
California State University - Los Angeles came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $5,700 for California Political Science 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%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Cal State LA
With a ranking of #8, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 469 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,310 for California Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at UCSD
With a ranking of #9, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,126 for California Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCR.
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.
Full University of California - Riverside Political Science & Government Report
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 328 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
UCSB also took the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $14,583 for California Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at UCSB
Claremont McKenna College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools 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 ’s political science degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.
Claremont McKenna also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Claremont McKenna is $15,962 for california political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. 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 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.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Claremont McKenna College
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 54 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $8,030 for california political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Fresno State.
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%. 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 & Government Report
Santa Rosa Junior College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Santa Rosa, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Santa Rosa Junior College is $8,738 for california political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full Santa Rosa Junior College Political Science & Government Report
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 200 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $11,189 for California Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. 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 & Government at CSULB
California State University - Fullerton ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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 California State University - Fullerton is $9,017 for California 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 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%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at California State University - Fullerton
University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 150 students in 2020-2021.
USC also took the #4 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,826 for california political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend USC.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Full University of Southern California Political Science & Government Report
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 167 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,602 for California Political Science 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 California State University - Sacramento Political Science & Government Report
California State University - Northridge landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 214 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $10,780 for California Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 full report on Political Science & Government at California State University - Northridge
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 201 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $15,567 for california political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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
With a ranking of #20, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 56 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $9,854 for california political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at CSUSB
San Diego State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 162 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,698 for California Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Diego State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at SDSU
Pitzer College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
Pitzer also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Pitzer is $17,630 for california political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Pitzer
California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 27 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $9,102 for California Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full CSUB Political Science & Government Report
California State University - Stanislaus landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science 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 political science degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $7,976 for california political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stan State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full Stan State Political Science & Government Report
American River College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. American River is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 29 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for American River is $7,806 for california political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at American River College
