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

30 Ranked Colleges
1,464 Degrees Awarded
$20,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 $30-$48k” ranking.

Accounting is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 8th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 101,094 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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.

This year’s “Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 30 colleges that offered a degree in accounting. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent accounting programs, but they also 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 accounting program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Accounting Schools

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 $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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 Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Accounting (Income $30-$48k) 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 $30-$48k list. Claremont McKenna College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Claremont McKenna also made our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna College is $6,591 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Accounting at Claremont McKenna College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 304 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUN has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,883 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUN.

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 more about Accounting at CSUN

#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 $30-$48k. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,252 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USC.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Accounting at University of Southern California

#4

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Phoenix - California landed the #4 spot on the list. UOPX - California is a small school located in Costa Mesa, California that handed out 12 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

Read more about Accounting at University of Phoenix - California

#5

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Santa Clara University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. 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 $18,949 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full Santa Clara University Accounting Report

#25 in overall quality

Vanguard University of Southern California landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Costa Mesa, California, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanguard also made our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Vanguard University of Southern California is $14,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Vanguard

#7

University of San Diego

San Diego, California

University of San Diego ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

USD also made our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of San Diego is $23,224 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Accounting at USD

#8

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, California

California Lutheran University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Thousand Oaks, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s accounting degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $30-$48k list, CLU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,578 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CLU.

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%.

Read more about Accounting at CLU

#9

University of Redlands

Redlands, California

University of Redlands came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Redlands, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s accounting degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

University of Redlands also took the #10 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Redlands is $22,240 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Accounting at University of Redlands

#10

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California
#22 in overall quality

Fresno Pacific University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fresno Pacific University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 8 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno Pacific, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,346 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno Pacific.

Full Fresno Pacific University Accounting Report

The University of Arizona Global Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UAGC is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 180 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $30-$48k list, UAGC has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UAGC is $20,998 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Accounting at The University of Arizona Global Campus

#12

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California

With a ranking of #12, Pepperdine University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Pepperdine is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Malibu, California. It awarded 16 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

Pepperdine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $29,593 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Pepperdine University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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 85%.

Read full report on Accounting at Pepperdine

#13

La Sierra University

Riverside, California

La Sierra University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $21,494 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend La Sierra.

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 more about Accounting at La Sierra University

#14

California Baptist University

Riverside, California

California Baptist University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Cal Baptist is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 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. It costs about $21,716 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal Baptist.

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 Cal Baptist Accounting Report

#15

Biola University

La Mirada, California

Biola University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in La Mirada, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 17 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 $30-$48k list, Biola has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Biola University is $25,855 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Biola University Accounting Report

#16

Menlo College

Atherton, California

Menlo College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Menlo College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Atherton, California. It awarded 15 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

Menlo also made our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $17,988 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Menlo.

Read full report on Accounting at Menlo

#17

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California

Point Loma Nazarene 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 $30-$48k ranking. PLNU is a small school located in San Diego, California that handed out 21 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $30-$48k list, PLNU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $24,654 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend PLNU.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Point Loma Nazarene University Accounting Report

#18

Holy Names University

Oakland, California

Holy Names University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. HNU 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.

It costs about $19,194 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend HNU.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Accounting at HNU

#19

Simpson University

Redding, California

With a ranking of #19, Simpson University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Redding, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s accounting degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Simpson University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Accounting at Simpson U

#20

Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, California

With a ranking of #20, Notre Dame de Namur University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. NDNU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Belmont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame de Namur University is $19,909 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Accounting at Notre Dame de Namur University

#21

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount also took the #4 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $35,166 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Loyola Marymount University.

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%. 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 University

#22

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Azusa Pacific University is a medium-sized school located in Azusa, California that handed out 32 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

Azusa Pacific also made our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Azusa Pacific is $23,272 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Azusa Pacific University Accounting Report

Saint Mary’s College of California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. This small school is located in Moraga, California, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SMC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $25,737 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Saint Mary’s College of California.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. 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.

Read more about Accounting at SMC

#24

Woodbury University

Burbank, California

Woodbury University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. This small school is located in Burbank, California, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

Woodbury also made our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Woodbury is $21,184 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Accounting at Woodbury

#25

Chapman University

Orange, California

Chapman University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chapman University is a medium-sized school located in Orange, California that handed out 58 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

Chapman also took the #6 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $31,826 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Chapman.

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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Accounting at Chapman University

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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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