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2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

59 Ranked Colleges
8,719 Degrees Awarded
$8,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

General Biology is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 102,043 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, general biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $28,233 and had an average of $23,964 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 13,086 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,318 and $21,623 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,719 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 59 colleges that offered a degree in general biology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general biology 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 general biology program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank General Biology Schools

The biology 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 Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Biology (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 63 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,145 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Stanford University General Biology Report

#2

Scripps College

Claremont, California

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Scripps College landed the #2 spot on the list. Scripps College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Scripps did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Scripps is $7,880 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 Scripps General Biology Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 143 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,117 for california bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at Cal State LA

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 233 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,130 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 UC Berkeley General Biology Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Stanislaus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 110 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $3,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Full Stan State General Biology Report

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 555 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,254 for california bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Read more about General Biology at University of California - Los Angeles

University of California - Irvine came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 770 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Biology at UC Irvine

California State University - Fresno landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 167 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,731 for california bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

Read full report on General Biology at California State University - Fresno

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 212 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $6,100 for california bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Cal State Fullerton General Biology Report

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 86 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,115 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUDH.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at CSUDH

#11

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 368 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,895 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 students.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara General Biology Report

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 247 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,595 for california bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSULB.

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 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 General Biology at CSULB

#13

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 284 students in 2019-2020.

SDSU also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 more about General Biology at San Diego State University

#14

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 543 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,151 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCR.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at University of California - Riverside

University of California - Davis came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 341 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $10,769 for california bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Read more about General Biology at University of California - Davis

California State University - Sacramento landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 269 students in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #23 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $7,823 for california bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 General Biology at California State University - Sacramento

With a ranking of #17, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 302 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCSD has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,974 for california bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

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 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at UCSD

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 282 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $6,883 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at California State University - Northridge

University of California - Merced landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Merced is a medium-sized school located in Merced, California that handed out 287 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Merced also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Merced is $11,565 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 86%.

Read more about General Biology at University of California - Merced

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 197 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $14,680 for california bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo General Biology Report

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $3,880 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full CSUB General Biology Report

California State University - East Bay landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 142 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $8,891 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Biology at Cal State East Bay

#23

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 329 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, SFSU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $12,517 for california bachelor’s degree biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Biology at San Francisco State University

#24

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 152 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,869 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUSB.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about General Biology at CSUSB

California State University - San Marcos came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 175 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,347 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUSM.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at California State University - San Marcos

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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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