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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in California

11 Ranked Colleges
697 Degrees Awarded
$18,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 29,936 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 35th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, general education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,138 and had an average of $29,674 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 7,838 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,089 and $30,845 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 697 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 11 colleges that offer a degree in general education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general education 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 general education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 11 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in California

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #1 spot on the list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 367 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Education at UC Irvine

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #2 spot on the list. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 11 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,280 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 94%.

Read full report on General Education at University of California - San Diego

#3

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend USC is $14,668 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Full USC General Education Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanguard University of Southern California. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Costa Mesa, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

Vanguard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,222 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanguard University of Southern California.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at Vanguard University of Southern California

#5

Hope International University

Fullerton, California
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hope International University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Hope did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,847 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hope.

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 General Education at Hope International University

#6

Mills College

Oakland, California
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Mills College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mills is located in Oakland, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Mills has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mills is $15,749 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Read more about General Education at Mills

The University of Arizona Global Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UAGC is a private for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 204 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UAGC also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UAGC is $20,283 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Education at UAGC

#8

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#6 in overall quality

Biola University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Biola University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Mirada, California. It awarded 16 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Biola, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $25,135 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Biola.

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%.

Full Biola General Education Report

#9

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSMU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $27,107 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MSMU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about General Education at MSMU

#10

Chapman University

Orange, California

Chapman University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Orange, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 46 students in 2019-2020.

Chapman did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $33,219 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Chapman University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at Chapman

#11

University of La Verne

La Verne, California
#12 in overall quality

University of La Verne came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. ULV is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Verne, California. It awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

ULV not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of La Verne is $21,297 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at ULV

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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 KOKUYO.

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