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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for History (Income $0-$30k) in California

37 Ranked Colleges
3,115 Degrees Awarded
$7,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

History is the 30th most popular major in the country with 32,905 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, history graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,593 and had an average of $23,490 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 5,424 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,877 and $19,249 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,115 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 37 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in history. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent history 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 history 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for History (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $-1,387 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about History at Stanford University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 61 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $1,379 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA History Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 119 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about History at UC Berkeley

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about History at UC Irvine

#5

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 319 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #4 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on History at UCLA

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 97 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

Full Fresno State History Report

California State University - Fullerton came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 103 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on History at Cal State Fullerton

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about History at CSUDH

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 58 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,410 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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 87%.

Read more about History at Stan State

#10

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 97 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,366 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on History at University of California - Riverside

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 143 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k 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%.

Full CSULB History Report

#12

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 174 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSB has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on History at University of California - Santa Barbara

University of California - Davis came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 113 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

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

Read more about History at University of California - Davis

California State University - Northridge ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 75 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full California State University - Northridge History Report

#15

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

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.

Full SDSU History Report

University of California - San Diego ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSD has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,280 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about History at University of California - San Diego

With a ranking of #17, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Bakersfield is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $3,423 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on History at CSUB

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 64 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 94%.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo History Report

With a ranking of #19, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 111 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Read full report on History at California State University - Sacramento

#20

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 83 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,077 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 History at CSUSB

California State University - San Marcos landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Marcos is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSM.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 History at California State University - San Marcos

#22

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 127 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $10,872 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its 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%.

Full UC Santa Cruz History Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $8,596 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona History Report

#24

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.

SFSU also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFSU.

Read full report on History at SFSU

#25

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

With a ranking of #25, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at San Jose State

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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