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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Education in California (With Aid)

45 Ranked Colleges
5,971 Degrees Awarded
$11,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.

This year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 45 colleges that offered a degree 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 Getting Aid”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Education in California (With Aid)

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #1 spot on the list. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 518 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #3 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

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%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Education Report

#24 in overall quality

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at California State University - Los Angeles

#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 #3 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 352 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #10 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

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

#20 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Bakersfield. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. 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.

CSUB also took the #20 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $5,318 for california bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

Read more about Education at CSUB

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 194 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

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%.

Full CSUDH Education Report

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fresno 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 Fresno State is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Education at California State University - Fresno

#2 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

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.

Full University of California - Riverside Education Report

#9 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 496 students in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

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 Sac State

#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 Getting Aid ranking. University of California - 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 estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Read full report on Education at UC Irvine

#15 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school handed out 86 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

CSUSM also took the #15 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $13,399 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at California State University - San Marcos

#8 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students with aid list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Education Report

#12

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Education at California State University - San Bernardino

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. 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 $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Stanislaus Education Report

#14

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#7 in overall quality

San Jose 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 Getting Aid ranking. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 248 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full San Jose State University Education Report

#12 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 17 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree education students with aid list, UCSD has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

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 University of California - San Diego

#16

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree education students with aid per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low 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 Education at UCLA

#17

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 157 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree education students with aid per year to attend San Diego State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Read more about Education at San Diego State University

#18

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#21 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 198 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

Read more about Education at San Francisco State University

#19 in overall quality

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree education students with aid per year to attend University of California - Davis.

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

Read full report on Education at University of California - Davis

California State University - Chico ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 72 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid per year to attend Chico State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Chico State

Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Humphreys University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stockton, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Humphreys University is $11,055 for california bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Education at Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses

#22

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. SSU is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 115 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Sonoma State University is $17,478 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at SSU

#13 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

With a ranking of #24, California State University - Channel Islands did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Channel Islands is a public institution located in Camarillo, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUCI is $13,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

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 California State University - Channel Islands

#25

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Fresno Pacific University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Fresno Pacific is a small school located in Fresno, California that handed out 28 bachelors’s education 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. The yearly cost to attend Fresno Pacific is $16,356 for california bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

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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