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2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

32 Ranked Colleges
1,464 Degrees Awarded
$19,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 101,094 accounting students received their degree, making the major the 8th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, accounting graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $44,557 and had an average of $26,381 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 7,393 accounting graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,976 and $24,630 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,464 accounting graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 32 colleges that offer a degree in accounting. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality accounting programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the accounting program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Accounting (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Claremont McKenna College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k list, Claremont McKenna has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna College is $8,566 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Accounting at Claremont McKenna College

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 304 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUN.

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%.

Read full report on Accounting at California State University - Northridge

#3

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 189 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $14,668 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Accounting at University of Southern California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Humphreys University is located in Stockton, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Humphreys University is $9,334 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read more about Accounting at Humphreys University

#5

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Phoenix - California. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Phoenix - California is a small private for-profit school situated in Costa Mesa, California. It awarded 12 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UOPX - California is $12,680 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Accounting at UOPX - California

#6

University of San Diego

San Diego, California

University of San Diego landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 93 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

USD also took the #5 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of San Diego is $22,263 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Accounting at USD

#7

University of Redlands

Redlands, California

University of Redlands came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Redlands, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

University of Redlands also took the #10 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Redlands is $21,763 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full University of Redlands Accounting Report

#8

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Santa Clara University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Clara, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SCU also took the #3 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Santa Clara University is $22,356 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Full SCU Accounting Report

#9

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, California

California Lutheran University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Thousand Oaks, California, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

CLU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Lutheran University is $18,173 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read more about Accounting at California Lutheran University

#25 in overall quality

Vanguard University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Vanguard is a small school located in Costa Mesa, California that handed out 7 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k list, Vanguard has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanguard University of Southern California is $15,222 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Accounting at Vanguard University of Southern California

#11

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California
#22 in overall quality

Fresno Pacific University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno Pacific is located in Fresno, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

Fresno Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno Pacific University.

Full Fresno Pacific Accounting Report

#12

National University

La Jolla, California

National University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. National University is located in La Jolla, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

National University also took the #20 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full National University Accounting Report

#13

Holy Names University

Oakland, California

Holy Names University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Holy Names University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oakland, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Holy Names University is $18,048 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Holy Names University Accounting Report

The University of Arizona Global Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large private for-profit school handed out 180 degrees to qualified bachelors’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

UAGC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $20,283 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UAGC.

Read more about Accounting at The University of Arizona Global Campus

#15

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California

Point Loma Nazarene University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Diego, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

PLNU also made our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Point Loma Nazarene University is $25,073 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Accounting at PLNU

#16

California Baptist University

Riverside, California

California Baptist University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Baptist, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $20,277 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Accounting at Cal Baptist

#17

La Sierra University

Riverside, California

La Sierra University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. La Sierra is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend La Sierra is $21,644 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on Accounting at La Sierra University

#18

Menlo College

Atherton, California

Menlo College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Atherton, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

Menlo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $24,367 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Menlo College.

Read more about Accounting at Menlo

#19

Simpson University

Redding, California

Simpson University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Simpson U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Redding, California. It awarded 1 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Simpson University is $18,231 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Accounting at Simpson University

#20

Biola University

La Mirada, California

Biola University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Biola University is located in La Mirada, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

Biola also took the #13 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $25,135 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Biola.

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 more about Accounting at Biola University

Saint Mary’s College of California came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint Mary’s College of California is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Moraga, California. It awarded 27 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

SMC also took the #9 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $25,057 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SMC.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Accounting at SMC

#22

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Azusa Pacific University is located in Azusa, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

Azusa Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $21,179 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Azusa Pacific University.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Accounting at Azusa Pacific

#23

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #23, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Loyola Marymount is a medium-sized school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 43 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount University is $32,367 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Accounting at Loyola Marymount

#24

Woodbury University

Burbank, California

With a ranking of #24, Woodbury University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Woodbury is located in Burbank, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k list, Woodbury has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,148 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Woodbury University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Woodbury University Accounting Report

#25

University of La Verne

La Verne, California

With a ranking of #25, University of La Verne did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. La Verne, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s accounting degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k list, ULV has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,297 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend ULV.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Accounting at University of La Verne

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Pixabay.

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