2024 Best Value Colleges for General Education in California
48
Ranked Colleges
7,597
Degrees Awarded
$15,000
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Education Schools in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 29,810 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 31st most popular in the United States.
Across California, there were 7,597 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value General Education Schools in California” ranking, we looked at 48 colleges that offer a degree in general education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general education 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 general education 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
The general education 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 General Education Schools in California”.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value General Education Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Education Schools in California.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Education in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Azusa Pacific University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Education Schools in California. Azusa Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Azusa, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 259 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Azusa Pacific also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Azusa Pacific is $30,744 for California General Education students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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.
Full Azusa Pacific University General Education Report
Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #2 spot on the list. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 121 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Fresno State also made our “Best General Education Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $6,230 for california general education students per year to attend Fresno State.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 General Education at California State University - Fresno
Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 222 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for California General Education students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad 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 UCLA General Education Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Point Loma Nazarene University. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Value General Education Schools in California list. This small school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 140 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general education students list, PLNU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Point Loma Nazarene University is $34,575 for california general education students.
The low undergrad 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 General Education at Point Loma Nazarene University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Education Schools in California. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 145 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
Sac State also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $11,178 for california general education students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 General Education at California State University - Sacramento
With a ranking of #6, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2024 Best Value General Education Schools in California list. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 46 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Education Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $8,107 for california general education students.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full California State University - San Bernardino General Education Report
University of California - San Diego landed the #7 spot on the 2024 Best Value General Education Schools in California ranking. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 127 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD also made our “Best General Education Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $15,240 for california general education students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 General Education at UCSD
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2024 Best Value General Education Schools in California ranking, coming in at #8. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 368 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general education students list, UC Irvine has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for california general education students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national 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 more about General Education at UC Irvine
With a ranking of #9, Northcentral University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value General Education Schools in California list. Located in La Jolla, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 706 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
Northcentral University also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in California” ranking.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 1 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Northcentral University General Education Report
With a ranking of #10, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2024 Best Value General Education Schools in California list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 129 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Education Schools in California” list. It costs about $3,302 for california general education students per year to attend Cal State LA.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Los Angeles General Education Report
California State University - Long Beach landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Value General Education Schools in California ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 91 students in 2020-2021.
CSULB also took the #25 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,054 for california general education students per year to attend CSULB.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full California State University - Long Beach General Education Report
California State University - Bakersfield came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in California ranking. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school handed out 136 degrees to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $7,454 for California General Education students.
Read full report on General Education at California State University - Bakersfield
California State University - Fullerton came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in California ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 255 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton also took the #20 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $8,003 for california general education students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Cal State Fullerton General Education Report
National University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in California list. This fairly large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 1,075 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
National University also made our “Best General Education Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend National University is $20,722 for California General Education students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Education at National University
With a ranking of #15, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value General Education Schools in California list. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 128 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $14,459 for California General Education students.
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 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at SFSU
University of California - Berkeley ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in California list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 45 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general education students list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for california general education students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Berkeley General Education Report
San Jose State University landed the #17 spot on the 2024 Best Value General Education Schools in California ranking. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 233 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general education students list, San Jose State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $16,542 for California General Education students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at San Jose State University
California Baptist University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in California list. California Baptist University is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 247 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for California Baptist University is $26,719 for California General Education students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California Baptist University General Education Report
San Diego State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in California ranking. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 145 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $13,845 for California General Education students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Education at San Diego State University
University of California - Davis came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in California ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 100 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also made our “Best General Education Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $15,768 for california general education students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 UC Davis General Education Report
California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2024 Best Value General Education Schools in California ranking, coming in at #21. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 105 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,566 for California General Education students per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.
The undergrad 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 full report on General Education at California State University - Stanislaus
With a ranking of #22, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2024 Best Value General Education Schools in California list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 195 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Education Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $11,822 for California General Education students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.
Full UCR General Education Report
With a ranking of #23, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2024 Best Value General Education Schools in California list. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 43 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $13,218 for california general education students.
The low undergrad 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 California State University - San Marcos General Education Report
With a ranking of #24, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2024 Best Value General Education Schools in California list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,523 for california general education students per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
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%.
Full California State University - Northridge General Education Report
Biola University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value General Education Schools in California ranking, coming in at #25. La Mirada, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 61 students in 2020-2021.
Biola not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Education Schools in California” list. It costs about $33,269 for california general education students per year to attend Biola University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full Biola University General Education Report
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