2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Biology in California (With Aid)
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2019-2020, 102,043 general biology students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country. 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 Getting Aid” 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general biology program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Biology in California (With Aid)
Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 143 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend Cal State LA.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 63 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
Stanford also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $11,496 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.
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 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Stanislaus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 110 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 167 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.
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 4.7% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 86 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.
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%.
Full California State University - Dominguez Hills General Biology Report
California State University - Fullerton landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 212 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #7, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 770 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about General Biology at University of California - Irvine
University of California - Merced landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Merced is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 287 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Merced, the school also landed 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 $13,896 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Read full report on General Biology at University of California - Merced
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 247 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #10, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 269 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Sac State also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.
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%.
Full California State University - Sacramento General Biology Report
California State University - Northridge ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 282 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.
Full California State University - Northridge General Biology Report
With a ranking of #12, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 555 students in 2019-2020.
UCLA also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 284 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid per year to attend SDSU.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.
Read full report on General Biology at San Diego State University
University of California - Riverside landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 543 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 - Santa Barbara ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 368 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.
University of California - San Diego came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 302 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid per year to attend University of California - San Diego.
The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of California - San Diego General Biology Report
University of California - Berkeley ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.
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 full report on General Biology at University of California - Berkeley
California State University - East Bay landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 142 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid list, Cal State East Bay has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend Cal State East Bay.
University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 341 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid list, UC Davis has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about General Biology at University of California - Davis
With a ranking of #20, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Bakersfield is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $5,318 for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.
With a ranking of #21, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 329 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.
Read full report on General Biology at San Francisco State University
San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 154 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.
San Jose State also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend San Jose State.
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 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 152 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
With a ranking of #24, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school handed out 175 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 State University - San Marcos General Biology Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 218 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Biology in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Biology (With Aid)
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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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