by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are lots of options to choose from today when trying to decide which school to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Bachelor's Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California ranking is part of that endeavor. Due to the amount of income-based financial aid available, many 'high-priced' schools are more affordable than you think.
In This Year's Value Report:
Our analysis looked at 86 schools in California to determine which ones have the best value Bachelor's Degree programs. Our ranking for the best value schools is based on objective factors. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
When determining the value of a school in our Best Bachelor's Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California ranking, we first look at its average net price of a student coming from a family that makes $48-$75k a year. The net price is defined as the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that the student receives. In addition, the overall quality of a school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how much it costs.
To make it into this list a school must offer a quality education like the schools in our Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considers factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To learn more, visit our best value ranking methodology page.
You can scroll down to see the top schools for this ranking, but you may also want to view some of the other ranking methods listed below.
Know what field you want to major in? Make sure you check out our best value schools by major. In addition, you can select one of the links below to see the best value colleges for other degree levels.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Stanford University to be the best value (income $48-$75k) school for bachelor’s degrees in California in this year’s ranking. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Stanford University is ranked #1 for quality in the state of California.
A rank of #2 on our Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California list means California Institute of Technology is a great place for students working on their degree. Caltech is located in Pasadena, California and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
California Institute of Technology has the honor of being ranked #4 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,404.
A rank of #3 on our Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California list means University of California - Los Angeles is a great place for students working on their degree. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of California - Los Angeles is ranked #6 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $10,217.
Read full value report on University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California list. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is Pomona College a great value, but it is also ranked #14 in California for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $5,830.
Out of the 86 bachelor’s degree schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Claremont McKenna College landed the #5 spot on the list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Claremont, California.
Claremont McKenna College has the honor of being ranked #5 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $12,545.
Pitzer College landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California ranking. Pitzer is located in Claremont, California and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Pitzer College has the honor of being ranked #36 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $3,023.
Foothill College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California ranking. Foothill College is a fairly large public school located in Los Altos Hills, California.
Not only is Foothill College a great value, but it is also ranked #7 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $10,777.
University of California - Berkeley landed the #8 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California ranking. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California.
University of California - Berkeley has the honor of being ranked #3 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $14,407.
Learn More About Value at University of California - Berkeley
With a ranking of #9, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, San Diego State University is ranked #18 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,993.
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California list. Located in Irvine, California, the school is a large public institution.
University of California - Irvine has the honor of being ranked #13 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $10,078.
California State University - Fullerton landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, California State University - Fullerton is ranked #35 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,767.
Read full value report on California State University - Fullerton
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #12 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, California State University - Los Angeles is ranked #52 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,258.
Read full value report on California State University - Los Angeles
With a ranking of #13, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California list. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California.
Not only is University of California - San Diego a great value, but it is also ranked #9 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $13,744.
California State University - San Bernardino ranked #14 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California list. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California.
California State University - San Bernardino has the honor of being ranked #63 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,851.
Full California State University - San Bernardino Value Report
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #15 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California list. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and has a large student population. It is a public school.
University of California - Santa Barbara has the honor of being ranked #8 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $14,720.
Learn More About Value at University of California - Santa Barbara
University of California - Davis came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of California - Davis is ranked #10 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $14,150.
University of Southern California landed the #17 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California ranking. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Los Angeles, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Southern California is ranked #2 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $18,626.
With a ranking of #18, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school located in Long Beach, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, California State University - Long Beach is ranked #28 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $9,317.
With a ranking of #19, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California list. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school located in Sacramento, California.
Not only is California State University - Sacramento a great value, but it is also ranked #37 in California for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $8,026.
California State University - Fresno came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California ranking. This large public school is located in Fresno, California.
Not only is California State University - Fresno a great value, but it is also ranked #49 in California for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $7,450.
California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school located in Carson, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, California State University - Dominguez Hills is ranked #68 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $5,782.
Learn More About Value at California State University - Dominguez Hills
California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California ranking, coming in at #22. CSUMB is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, California State University - Monterey Bay is ranked #73 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $5,641.
Learn More About Value at California State University - Monterey Bay
With a ranking of #23, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California list. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized public school located in Rohnert Park, California.
Not only is Sonoma State University a great value, but it is also ranked #59 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,447.
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California ranking, coming in at #24. This large public school is located in Northridge, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, California State University - Northridge is ranked #40 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $9,851.
With a ranking of #25, Soka University of America did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in California list. Soka University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Aliso Viejo, California.
Soka University of America has the honor of being ranked #58 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $8,034.
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.