Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Education

Find Schools Near

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

45 Ranked Colleges
5,971 Degrees Awarded
$8,100 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. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 310,601 education students received their degree, making the major the 4th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,887 and had an average of $30,244 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 24,764 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,134 and $37,359 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,971 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 45 colleges that offer a degree in education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality 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 education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 518 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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 89%.

Read full report on Education at California State University - Fullerton

#24 in overall quality

Out of the 45 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, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 423 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Read more about Education at California State University - Los Angeles

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Riverside. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 153 students in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $8,366 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Education at University of California - Riverside

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 45 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 #4 spot on the list. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 388 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Education at University of California - Irvine

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 45 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, California State University - Northridge landed the #5 spot on the list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 352 students in 2019-2020.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUN.

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

Read full report on Education at California State University - Northridge

#25 in overall quality

California State University - Fresno ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 162 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Fresno State

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Bakersfield is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 114 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUB also took the #20 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,423 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUB.

Read full report on Education at CSUB

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 194 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,455 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Education at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#9 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 496 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at Sac State

#10

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 6 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #5 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,553 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Education at University of California - Los Angeles

#8 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $8,596 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#12 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Education at UCSD

#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school awarded 86 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

CSUSM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $9,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Education at CSUSM

#14

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 157 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full San Diego State University Education Report

#15

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 10 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $5,077 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Education at CSUSB

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stan State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at California State University - Stanislaus

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Davis Education Report

#18

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, San Jose State 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 San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 248 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full San Jose State Education Report

#13 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,475 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Education at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#20

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#21 in overall quality

San Francisco State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 198 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read more about Education at SFSU

California State University - Chico landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 72 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $10,260 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read more about Education at California State University - Chico

#22

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,872 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at University of California - Santa Cruz

#23

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $14,668 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Education at USC

#24

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 115 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,263 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sonoma State University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 more about Education at SSU

California State University - Channel Islands landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Camarillo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 59 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,131 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUCI.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at CSUCI

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 Horadrim.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You