2023 Best Value Colleges for History (Income $0-$30k) in California
29
Ranked Colleges
5,392
Degrees Awarded
$8,300
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 32,731 people earned their degree in history, making the major the 30th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, history graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $30,467 and had an average of $23,587 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 5,392 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,322 and $18,158 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 29 colleges that offered a degree in history. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great history programs and 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for History (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 344 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,037 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on History at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 149 students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,450 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on History at UC Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 120 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also made our “Best History Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $10,006 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Davis.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on History at University of California - Davis
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 161 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB also made our “Best History Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $10,568 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.
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 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%.
Read full report on History at University of California - Santa Barbara
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 89 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $0-$30k list, Fresno State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,859 for California History students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, 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.
Read more about History at Fresno State
California State University - Fullerton came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 145 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $4,590 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 History at Cal State Fullerton
University of California - San Diego landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 80 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,823 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on History at University of California - San Diego
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 91 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $1,887 for California History students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about History at California State University - Los Angeles
With a ranking of #9, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 164 ’s history degrees to qualified students.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,663 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on History at California State University - Long Beach
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 134 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $6,810 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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%.
Read full report on History at University of California - Riverside
California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 51 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $0-$30k list, Stan State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $4,122 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on History at Stan State
California State University - Sacramento ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 145 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.
Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for California History students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on History at California State University - Sacramento
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 95 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,540 for California History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Irvine History Report
University of Southern California landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 90 ’s history degrees to qualified students.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $17,287 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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.
Read more about History at University of Southern California
California State University - Northridge ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 109 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUN has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $6,266 for California History students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CSUN History Report
San Diego State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 83 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also made our “Best History Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $7,169 for California History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SDSU.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.
Read more about History at San Diego State University
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 135 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best History Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $11,038 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UC Santa Cruz History Report
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 72 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $5,985 for California 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about History at CSUSB
California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 46 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $2,657 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUDH.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CSUDH History Report
San Francisco State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 95 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,705 for California History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFSU.
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%.
Read full report on History at SFSU
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 67 students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,349 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
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 undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on History at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 64 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #10 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $12,173 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 History at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
California State University - San Marcos came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUSM is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 70 ’s history degrees to qualified students.
CSUSM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,397 for California History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about History at CSUSM
Sonoma State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 49 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.
SSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sonoma State University is $12,803 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about History at Sonoma State University
California State University - Chico came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 69 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,754 for California History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Chico State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about History at Chico State
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