2024 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities in California
76
Ranked Colleges
112,228
Degrees Awarded
$9,600
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
With 556,813 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, liberal arts / sciences & humanities is the 3rd most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,337 and had an average of $17,430 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 112,228 liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,456 and $14,718 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” ranking, we looked at 76 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts / sciences & humanities programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools
The liberal arts / sciences & humanities 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 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California”.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Golden West College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California. Located in Huntington Beach, California, this fairly large public school handed out 4,346 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities students in 2020-2021.
Golden West College also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Golden West College is $4,024 for California Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Golden West College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Valley College. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California list. Located in Saratoga, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 678 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities students in 2020-2021.
West Valley College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” list. It costs about $3,587 for california liberal arts / sciences & humanities students per year to attend West Valley College.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at West Valley College
Out of the 76 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Los Angeles Valley College landed the #3 spot on the list. Los Angeles Valley College is a fairly large public school situated in Valley Glen, California. It awarded 1,549 ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
LAVC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Los Angeles Valley College is $10,194 for california liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at LAVC
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 336 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california liberal arts / sciences & humanities students list, CSUN has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,523 for California Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Full CSUN Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Chaffey College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California. Located in Rancho Cucamonga, California, this fairly large public school handed out 2,083 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california liberal arts / sciences & humanities students list, Chaffey College has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chaffey College is $10,964 for california liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.
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 more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Chaffey College
Los Angeles Harbor College landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California ranking. Located in Wilmington, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 2,072 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities students in 2020-2021.
LAHC also took the #14 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Los Angeles Harbor College is $11,607 for California Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.
Full LAHC Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Los Angeles Pierce College landed the #7 spot on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California ranking. Los Angeles Pierce College is a fairly large school located in Woodland Hills, California that handed out 1,981 ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
Pierce College also took the #15 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,002 for California Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students per year to attend Pierce College.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Los Angeles Pierce College
California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #8 spot on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California ranking. CSUMB is located in Seaside, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 227 ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities degrees to qualified students.
CSUMB also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $13,597 for california liberal arts / sciences & humanities students per year to attend CSUMB.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CSUMB Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
With a ranking of #9, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 123 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for california liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
With a ranking of #10, Riverside City College did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California list. Riverside City College is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,871 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Riverside City College, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Riverside City College is $6,593 for California Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Riverside City College
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 534 ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $6,230 for california liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.
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%.
Full Fresno State Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Modesto Junior College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California ranking. Located in Modesto, California, this fairly large public school handed out 483 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for MJC is $11,267 for California Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Modesto Junior College
Orange Coast College landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California ranking. Orange Coast College is a public institution located in Costa Mesa, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,218 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Orange Coast College is $4,503 for california liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Orange Coast College
With a ranking of #14, MiraCosta College did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California list. Located in Oceanside, California, this fairly large public school handed out 1,875 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,995 for California Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students per year to attend MiraCosta College.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at MiraCosta College
Los Angeles City College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this fairly large public school awarded 1,232 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Los Angeles City College, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,768 for California Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students per year to attend Los Angeles City College.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Los Angeles City College
San Diego State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities degrees to 246 students in 2020-2021.
SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $13,845 for california liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 90%.
Full San Diego State University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
California State University - Sacramento ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California list. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 194 ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities degrees to qualified students.
Sac State also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $11,178 for California Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students 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%.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Sac State
With a ranking of #18, San Jose City College did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California list. San Jose City College is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 506 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose City College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,302 for California Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students per year to attend San Jose City College.
Full San Jose City College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
With a ranking of #19, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities degrees to 115 students in 2020-2021.
SFSU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $14,459 for california liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at SFSU
Cuesta College did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California ranking, coming in at #19. Cuesta College is a medium-sized school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 2,410 ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $11,063 for California Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students per year to attend Cuesta College.
Full Cuesta College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Los Angeles Southwest College landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California ranking. Los Angeles Southwest College is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1,105 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Los Angeles Southwest College is $9,909 for California Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.
Full Los Angeles Southwest College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
With a ranking of #22, Ventura College did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California list. Ventura, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities degrees to 1,949 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $1,590 for california liberal arts / sciences & humanities students per year to attend Ventura College.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Ventura College
El Camino College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California list. El Camino College is a fairly large public school situated in Torrance, California. It awarded 903 ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend El Camino College is $11,095 for California Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.
Full El Camino College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 176 ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUDH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $4,026 for California Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at California State University - Dominguez Hills
With a ranking of #25, Los Angeles Mission College did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California list. Los Angeles Mission College is a medium-sized public school situated in Sylmar, California. It awarded 1,025 ’s liberal arts / sciences & humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Los Angeles Mission College is $12,210 for California Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Los Angeles Mission College
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