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

43 Ranked Colleges
5,971 Degrees Awarded
$28,040 Avg Salary
Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Education is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 4th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 310,601 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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.

This year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 43 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the education program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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

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 $48-$75k

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

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

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 518 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $9,427 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Education at California State University - Fullerton

#24 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 423 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $5,644 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on Education at Cal State LA

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Riverside landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 153 bachelors’s education degrees 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. It costs about $12,290 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

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

Read more about Education at University of California - Riverside

#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 352 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSUN has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $10,783 for california bachelor’s degree education 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 Education at CSUN

#20 in overall quality

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Bakersfield landed the #5 spot on the list. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 114 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUB, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $7,564 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Education at California State University - Bakersfield

#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 $48-$75k list. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 162 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k list, Fresno State has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $7,549 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at California State University - Fresno

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 194 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,907 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUDH Education Report

#8

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Education Report

#6 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 388 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine also took the #6 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $13,648 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Irvine Education Report

#9 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 496 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at California State University - Sacramento

#12 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSD has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,071 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

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

#12

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 10 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $8,924 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Education at CSUSB

#15 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUSM is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 86 bachelors’s education degrees 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 estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $14,582 for california bachelor’s degree education 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 Education at California State University - San Marcos

#8 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 82 students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $14,012 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school awarded 56 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $7,772 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Stan State

#19 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Davis has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $13,578 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education 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%. 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 Education at University of California - Davis

#17

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#7 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 248 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $16,397 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Education at San Jose State

#13 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 68 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Education at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#19

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

With a ranking of #19, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 157 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,730 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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%.

Full San Diego State University Education Report

#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 $48-$75k ranking. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 198 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,661 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SFSU.

Read more about Education at San Francisco State University

Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stockton, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Humphreys University is $14,392 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#22

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,253 for california bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. 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 Education at UC Santa Cruz

California State University - Chico ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 72 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Chico State.

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

#24

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

University of Southern California came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,050 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend USC.

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 student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Southern California Education Report

#25

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California
#23 in overall quality

Fresno Pacific University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fresno Pacific is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,623 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Fresno Pacific.

Read more about Education at Fresno Pacific

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.

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