2024 Best Schools for the Money (With Aid) in California for Bachelor's Degrees
88
Colleges
$10,425
Avg Net Price (With Aid)*
66%
Discount Rate*
There 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 (With Aid) 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:
Choosing the Best School for You
Our analysis looked at 88 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.
Our Methodology
To calculate the value of a school in our Best Bachelor's Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking, we first consider its average net price, which is the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that 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.
Additional Rankings
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.
To get a better picture of the best value schools for your income range or for whether or not you'll receive aid, click on one of the tiles above. Are you more interested in the best value schools in your area? Try narrowing this list
by location. In addition, we've put together a number of other
college rankings that may help you in your search.
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.
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Schools (With Aid) in California
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2024 rankings named Stanford University the best value (with aid) school in California for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Stanford University is ranked #1 for quality in the state of California. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $14,402.
Learn More About Value at Stanford University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Foothill College. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. Los Altos Hills, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Foothill College has the honor of being ranked #7 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $9,820 a year.
Full Foothill College Value Report
The quality degree programs at University of California - Los Angeles helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and has a large student population. It is a public school.
Not only is University of California - Los Angeles a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in California for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $13,393 a year.
Learn More About Value at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is California State University - Los Angeles a great value, but it is also ranked #52 in California for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $2,695.
Full California State University - Los Angeles Value Report
Out of the 88 bachelor’s degree schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the #5 spot on the list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and has a large student population. It is a public school.
Not only is San Diego State University a great value, but it is also ranked #18 in California for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $6,867 a year.
Full San Diego State University Value Report
California State University - Fullerton came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) 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. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $4,939.
Read full value report on California State University - Fullerton
University of California - Irvine came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking. This large public school is located in Irvine, California.
Not only is University of California - Irvine a great value, but it is also ranked #13 in California for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $11,633 a year.
Full University of California - Irvine Value Report
California State University - San Bernardino ranked #8 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California.
Not only is California State University - San Bernardino a great value, but it is also ranked #63 in California for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $3,254.
Learn More About Value at California State University - San Bernardino
University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Berkeley, California, the school is a large public institution.
Not only is University of California - Berkeley a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in California for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $17,652 a year.
Full University of California - Berkeley Value Report
With a ranking of #10, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. Fresno State is a large public school situated 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 net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $6,336 a year.
Learn More About Value at California State University - Fresno
California State University - Long Beach came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school located in Long Beach, California.
California State University - Long Beach has the honor of being ranked #28 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $9,171 a year.
Full California State University - Long Beach Value Report
California State University - Sacramento landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking. Sac State is a public institution 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. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $7,778.
Learn More About Value at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking, coming in at #13. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school located in Carson, California.
California State University - Dominguez Hills has the honor of being ranked #68 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $4,500.
Learn More About Value at California State University - Dominguez Hills
University of California - San Diego ranked #14 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of California - San Diego is ranked #9 for quality in the state of California. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $15,632.
Learn More About Value at University of California - San Diego
California State University - Northridge ranked #15 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school located in Northridge, California.
Not only is California State University - Northridge a great value, but it is also ranked #40 in California for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $8,708.
Read full value report on California State University - Northridge
National University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking. National University is located in La Jolla, California and has a fairly large student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, National University is ranked #33 for quality in the state of California. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $9,966.
Read full value report on National University
Sonoma State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking. SSU is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California.
Sonoma State University has the honor of being ranked #59 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $7,055 a year.
Learn More About Value at Sonoma State University
University of California - Davis came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking. Located in Davis, California, the school is a large public institution.
University of California - Davis has the honor of being ranked #10 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $16,640 a year.
Learn More About Value at University of California - Davis
With a ranking of #19, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. 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. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $17,333.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Value Report
With a ranking of #20, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. Located in Seaside, California, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
Not only is California State University - Monterey Bay a great value, but it is also ranked #73 in California for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $6,085.
Learn More About Value at California State University - Monterey Bay
California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking, coming in at #21. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California.
Not only is California State University - Stanislaus a great value, but it is also ranked #67 in California for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $7,230 a year.
Full California State University - Stanislaus Value Report
Claremont McKenna College did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Claremont, California, the school is a small private not-for-profit institution.
Not only is Claremont McKenna College a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in California for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $21,663.
Learn More About Value at Claremont McKenna College
With a ranking of #23, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California list. CSUB is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California.
Not only is California State University - Bakersfield a great value, but it is also ranked #75 in California for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $7,368 a year.
Read full value report on California State University - Bakersfield
University of California - Riverside came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in California ranking. Located in Riverside, California, the school is a large public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of California - Riverside is ranked #21 for quality in the state of California. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $13,502 a year.
Full University of California - Riverside Value Report
Pomona College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) 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. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $17,000.
Learn More About Value at Pomona College
