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

23 Ranked Colleges
2,155 Degrees Awarded
$15,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Ethnic Studies is the 102nd most popular major in the country with 9,419 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, ethnic studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $27,585 and had an average of $22,144 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 2,668 ethnic studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,350 and $19,492 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,155 ethnic studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in ethnic studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent ethnic studies 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 ethnic studies 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.

More Ways to Rank Ethnic Studies Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

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 Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Ethnic Studies in California (With Aid)

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to qualified students.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $11,496 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at Stanford University

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 260 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN Ethnic Studies Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students with aid list, Cal State LA has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies 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 full report on Ethnic Studies at California State University - Los Angeles

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 334 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ethnic studies students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students with aid.

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

Read more about Ethnic Studies at UCLA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 92 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students with aid per year to attend CSULB.

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

Read more about Ethnic Studies at CSULB

University of California - Berkeley landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 118 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #2 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students with aid.

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

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also took the #13 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students with aid.

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 Ethnic Studies at UCR

University of California - Irvine ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students with aid per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

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 Ethnic Studies at University of California - Irvine

#9

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #9, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 108 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also made our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students with aid per year to attend SFSU.

Full San Francisco State University Ethnic Studies Report

California State University - Fullerton ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 38 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Fullerton Ethnic Studies Report

#11

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

With a ranking of #11, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students with aid.

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

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at San Diego State University

California State University - Sacramento landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to 101 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students with aid list, Sac State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students with aid.

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%.

Full Sac State Ethnic Studies Report

University of California - Davis ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 177 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #5 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at University of California - Davis

University of California - San Diego ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 45 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students with aid per year to attend UCSD.

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

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at UCSD

#15

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students with aid list, UCSB has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSB Ethnic Studies Report

With a ranking of #16, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 21 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students with aid per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

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%. 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 Polytechnic University - Pomona Ethnic Studies Report

#17

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 165 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $18,186 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Santa Cruz Ethnic Studies Report

#18

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Sonoma State University is located in Rohnert Park, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SSU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,478 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students with aid per year to attend Sonoma State University.

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 full report on Ethnic Studies at Sonoma State University

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students with aid list, Chico State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students with aid per year to attend Chico State.

The low 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%.

Read more about Ethnic Studies at Chico State

#20

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

With a ranking of #20, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Humboldt State University is a public institution located in Arcata, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Humboldt State University also made our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $14,692 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students with aid.

Read more about Ethnic Studies at Humboldt State University

#21

Mills College

Oakland, California

Mills College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Oakland, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

Mills also made our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $22,202 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students with aid per year to attend Mills.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at Mills

#22

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $29,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students with aid per year to attend USC.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at University of Southern California

#23

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Loyola Marymount University is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to qualified students.

Loyola Marymount not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount is $42,861 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students with aid.

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. 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%.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at Loyola Marymount

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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.

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