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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Accounting (Income $48-$75k) in California

31 Ranked Colleges
1,464 Degrees Awarded
$53,178 Avg Salary
Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 31 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in accounting. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great accounting programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the accounting program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Accounting Schools

The accounting 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 Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k”.

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. 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 $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Accounting (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont McKenna College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Claremont McKenna is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

Claremont McKenna did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Claremont McKenna is $19,009 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Claremont McKenna College Accounting Report

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 $48-$75k. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 304 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #12 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $10,783 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about 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 $48-$75k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 189 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend USC is $20,050 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 USC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Stockton, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s accounting degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,392 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Humphreys University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Accounting at Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses

#5

University of Redlands

Redlands, California

Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Redlands landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Redlands, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Redlands, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Redlands is $24,866 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#6

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California

With a ranking of #6, University of Phoenix - California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Phoenix - California is a small school located in Costa Mesa, California that handed out 12 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Phoenix - California is $12,618 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Accounting at UOPX - California

#7

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California
#22 in overall quality

Fresno Pacific University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno Pacific also made our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Fresno Pacific University is $17,623 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Accounting at Fresno Pacific

#8

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara 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 $48-$75k ranking. Santa Clara University is located in Santa Clara, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 86 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

SCU also made our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Santa Clara University is $24,848 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Accounting at SCU

#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 $48-$75k ranking. CLU is a small school located in Thousand Oaks, California that handed out 36 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

CLU also made our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend California Lutheran University is $22,493 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 California Lutheran University Accounting Report

#25 in overall quality

Vanguard University of Southern California came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Vanguard University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Costa Mesa, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanguard, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,625 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Vanguard.

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%.

Full Vanguard Accounting Report

#10

University of San Diego

San Diego, California

University of San Diego came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. USD is a medium-sized school located in San Diego, California that handed out 93 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

USD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for USD is $25,727 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Accounting at USD

With a ranking of #12, The University of Arizona Global Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. The University of Arizona Global Campus is a private for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 180 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UAGC also took the #19 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UAGC is $22,687 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Accounting at The University of Arizona Global Campus

#13

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California

Point Loma Nazarene 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 $48-$75k ranking. Point Loma Nazarene University is a small school located in San Diego, California that handed out 21 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

PLNU also made our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $28,716 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend PLNU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full PLNU Accounting Report

#14

Simpson University

Redding, California

With a ranking of #14, Simpson University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Simpson University is located in Redding, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $19,411 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $48-$75k 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 more about Accounting at Simpson University

#15

National University

La Jolla, California

National 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 $48-$75k ranking. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 45 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

National University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list.

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%.

Read full report on Accounting at National University

#16

Menlo College

Atherton, California

Menlo College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Menlo College is a small school located in Atherton, California that handed out 15 bachelors’s accounting degrees 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 $19,343 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Menlo College.

Read more about Accounting at Menlo

Saint Mary’s College of California came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Moraga, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 27 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 $48-$75k list, SMC has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $27,873 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SMC.

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%. 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.

Read more about Accounting at Saint Mary’s College of California

#18

Holy Names University

Oakland, California

Holy Names University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Holy Names University is a small school located in Oakland, California that handed out 2 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Holy Names University is $22,076 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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.

Full Holy Names University Accounting Report

#19

California Baptist University

Riverside, California

With a ranking of #19, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California Baptist University is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Baptist is $23,255 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Accounting at Cal Baptist

#20

Biola University

La Mirada, California

With a ranking of #20, Biola University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Biola 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Biola, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $29,212 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Biola University.

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 Accounting Report

#21

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California

Pepperdine University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Malibu, 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 16 students in 2019-2020.

Pepperdine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Pepperdine University is $31,918 for California Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 more about Accounting at Pepperdine University

#22

La Sierra University

Riverside, California

La Sierra 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 $48-$75k ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s accounting degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend La Sierra University is $24,252 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Accounting at La Sierra University

#23

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Azusa, 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 32 students in 2019-2020.

Azusa Pacific also took the #18 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Azusa Pacific University is $23,455 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Accounting at Azusa Pacific University

#24

Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, California

Notre Dame de Namur University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Belmont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame de Namur University is $23,309 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Notre Dame de Namur University

#25

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Loyola Marymount University is a medium-sized school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 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. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $34,284 for california bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read more about Accounting at Loyola Marymount

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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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