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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Urban Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California

11 Ranked Colleges
239 Degrees Awarded
$13,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 1,475 people earned their degree in urban studies, making the major the 210th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, urban studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $37,971 and had an average of $24,376 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 294 urban studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,275 and $17,214 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 239 urban studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 11 colleges that offer a degree in urban studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent urban studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

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

One Size Does Not Fit All

The urban studies 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 Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 11 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Urban Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $-1,387 for California Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford University Urban Studies Report

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s urban studies degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,392 for california bachelor’s degree urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Urban Studies at UC Berkeley

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban Studies at University of California - Irvine

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #4 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,280 for california bachelor’s degree urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - San Diego Urban Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 22 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Studies at CSUN

#6

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 14 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also made our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SDSU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Urban Studies at SDSU

#7

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.

SFSU also made our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read more about Urban Studies at San Francisco State University

#8

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $14,668 for california bachelor’s degree urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, 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 91%.

Full University of Southern California Urban Studies Report

#9

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#11 in overall quality

Biola University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Biola University is located in La Mirada, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.

Biola also made our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $25,135 for california bachelor’s degree urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Biola.

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%.

Read more about Urban Studies at Biola University

#10

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #10, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $32,367 for california bachelor’s degree urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 Loyola Marymount Urban Studies Report

#11

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

USFCA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend USFCA is $27,690 for California Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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 University of San Francisco Urban Studies Report

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.

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