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2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

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

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in ethnic studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality ethnic studies 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 ethnic studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Ethnic Studies Schools

The ethnic studies 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 Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Ethnic Studies in California

#1

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Francisco State University landed the #1 spot on the list. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 108 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also made our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students.

Read more about Ethnic Studies at SFSU

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to 260 students in 2019-2020.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students.

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 Ethnic Studies at CSUN

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 334 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #3 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students per year to attend UCLA.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCLA Ethnic Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 92 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #15 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Ethnic Studies at California State University - Long Beach

#5

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Sonoma State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 44 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

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 per year to attend Sonoma State University.

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 Ethnic Studies at SSU

University of California - Berkeley ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 118 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

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

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

#7

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 34 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Ethnic Studies at SDSU

#8

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also took the #6 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students.

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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Ethnic Studies at UCSB

University of California - Davis landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 177 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students list, UC Davis has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students per year to attend UC Davis.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Davis Ethnic Studies Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ethnic studies students 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. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students.

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 87%.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 101 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to qualified students.

Sac State also made our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students.

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 Ethnic Studies at California State University - Sacramento

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Chico came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ethnic studies students in 2019-2020.

Chico State also made our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students.

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 full report on Ethnic Studies at Chico State

University of California - San Diego came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. 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. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UCSD Ethnic Studies Report

University of California - Irvine ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students per year to attend UC Irvine.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Ethnic Studies at University of California - Irvine

#15

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #15. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 54 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students.

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%.

Full UCR Ethnic Studies Report

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #16. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #21 rank 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 per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

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%. 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 Cal State Fullerton Ethnic Studies Report

#17

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 165 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $18,186 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read more about Ethnic Studies at University of California - Santa Cruz

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students per year to attend Cal State LA.

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 Cal State LA

#19

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

With a ranking of #19, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 18 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students list, Humboldt State University has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $14,692 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students.

Read more about Ethnic Studies at Humboldt State University

#20

Mills College

Oakland, California

With a ranking of #20, Mills College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Mills College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oakland, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Mills did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $22,202 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students per year to attend Mills College.

The low student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Ethnic Studies at Mills

#21

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 ranking, coming in at #21. This medium-sized school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount is $42,861 for california bachelor’s degree ethnic studies students.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Ethnic Studies at Loyola Marymount

#22

Stanford University

Stanford, California

Stanford University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #22. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 37 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,496 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ethnic Studies students per year to attend Stanford University.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. 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

#23

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 13 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also took 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 per year to attend University of Southern California.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, 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 USC Ethnic Studies Report

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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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