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2023 Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $30-$48k) in California

19 Ranked Colleges
3,588 Degrees Awarded
$10,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 16,243 people earned their degree in area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies, making the major the 30th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,881 and had an average of $22,102 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 3,588 area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,929 and $17,777 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies programs, but they also cost less that 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 area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $30-$48k) in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 74 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,581 for California Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at Stanford University

2

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 234 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 for california area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at University of California - Berkeley

3

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 Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 461 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,891 for california area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 96%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 242 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis also took the #4 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $11,598 for california area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad 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 UC Davis Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report

5

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #5 spot on the list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to 146 students in 2020-2021.

CSULB also took the #11 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $7,573 for California Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at California State University - Long Beach

6

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 219 diplomas to qualified ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies students in 2020-2021.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $7,103 for California Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at California State University - Northridge

7

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 152 degrees to qualified ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCSB has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $11,606 for california area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report

8
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #8, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 62 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, SDSU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $9,274 for California Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at San Diego State University

9

University of California - San Diego ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 58 diplomas to qualified ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies students in 2020-2021.

UCSD also took the #10 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,176 for california area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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.

Full University of California - San Diego Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report

10

University of California - Irvine landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 88 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also took the #9 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,449 for California Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

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

Full University of California - Irvine Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report

11

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 99 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,821 for California Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at California State University - Fullerton

12

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 171 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $12,049 for california area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at University of California - Santa Cruz

13

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 63 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $8,193 for California Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 91%.

Full UCR Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report

14
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #14, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 130 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to qualified students.

SFSU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $11,862 for california area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Francisco State University Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report

15

California State University - Sacramento landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 114 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Sac State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $9,055 for california area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at California State University - Sacramento

16

California State University - Chico ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,040 for California Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Chico State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at Chico State

17
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

With a ranking of #17, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SSU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $13,983 for California Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at Sonoma State University

18

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 28 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $12,992 for california area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report

19
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in San Francisco, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 31 diplomas to qualified ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies students in 2020-2021.

USFCA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in California” list. It costs about $31,994 for California Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of San Francisco.

The low undergrad 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 more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at University of San Francisco

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