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2023 Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

20 Ranked Colleges
1,542 Degrees Awarded
$19,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Finance Schools 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. 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 Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Finance & Financial Management is the 14th most popular major in the country with 57,778 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, finance and financial management graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $53,475 and had an average of $24,463 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 1,542 finance and financial management graduates with average earnings and debt of $61,293 and $21,118 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in finance and financial management. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent finance and financial management programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the finance and financial management program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The finance 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 Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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 Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 20 Best Value Colleges for Finance & Financial Management (Income $0-$30k) in California

1

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 399 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,266 for California Finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUN.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at CSUN

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - San Bernardino. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,985 for california finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSB.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad 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 full report on Finance & Financial Management at California State University - San Bernardino

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Riverside. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 39 degrees to qualified ’s finance students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california finance students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCR has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $6,810 for california finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 91%.

Full University of California - Riverside Finance & Financial Management Report

4
GCC crest
Glendale Community College
Glendale, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Glendale Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Glendale, California, and it awarded 3 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

GCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also # on our "" list. The yearly cost to attend GCC is $3,722 for california finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full GCC Finance & Financial Management Report

5
San Diego Miramar College crest
San Diego Miramar College
San Diego, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego Miramar College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 2 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

San Diego Miramar College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also # on our "" list. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego Miramar College is $4,199 for California Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Finance & Financial Management at San Diego Miramar College

6
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Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

With a ranking of #6, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools 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 162 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SCU, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Santa Clara University is $26,428 for california finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full SCU Finance & Financial Management Report

7

University of Phoenix - California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Costa Mesa, California, and it awarded 4 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

UOPX - California did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed # on our "" list. The yearly cost to attend University of Phoenix - California is $11,703 for California Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Finance & Financial Management at University of Phoenix - California

8
CLU crest
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, California

California Lutheran University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Thousand Oaks, California, and it awarded 29 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

CLU also made our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for CLU is $20,774 for California Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at California Lutheran University

9
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University of San Diego
San Diego, California

University of San Diego landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 179 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

USD also took the #2 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of San Diego is $21,951 for california finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of San Diego Finance & Financial Management Report

10
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fresno Pacific is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 2 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

Fresno Pacific also took the #19 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fresno Pacific University is $17,544 for California Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno Pacific Finance & Financial Management Report

11

12
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University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USFCA is located in San Francisco, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 102 ’s finance degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USFCA, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $32,023 for California Finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USFCA.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Finance & Financial Management at USFCA

13
HNU crest
Holy Names University
Oakland, California

Holy Names University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. HNU is a small school located in Oakland, California that handed out 9 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

HNU also made our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $16,600 for california finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend HNU.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad 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 HNU Finance & Financial Management Report

14
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Baptist also made our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for California Baptist University is $21,769 for california finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Finance & Financial Management at California Baptist University

15
La Sierra crest
La Sierra University
Riverside, California

With a ranking of #15, La Sierra University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 13 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

La Sierra not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for La Sierra University is $19,752 for California Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at La Sierra University

16
ULV crest
University of La Verne
La Verne, California

University of La Verne ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of La Verne is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Verne, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

ULV also made our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for University of La Verne is $28,256 for California Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at University of La Verne

17
PLNU crest
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, California

Point Loma Nazarene University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified ’s finance students in 2020-2021.

PLNU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Point Loma Nazarene University is $24,604 for california finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at PLNU

18
Menlo crest
Menlo College
Atherton, California

Menlo College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Menlo is located in Atherton, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s finance degrees to qualified students.

Menlo also took the #13 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $26,534 for California Finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Menlo.

Read more about Finance & Financial Management at Menlo

19
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 117 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

Loyola Marymount did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $32,730 for California Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 undergraduate 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 more about Finance & Financial Management at Loyola Marymount University

20
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pepperdine is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Malibu, California. It awarded 26 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pepperdine, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $36,264 for california finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pepperdine University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Pepperdine University Finance & Financial Management Report

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