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2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

36 Ranked Colleges
3,115 Degrees Awarded
$8,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 $30-$48k” 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.

For this year’s “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 36 colleges that offer a degree in history. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality history programs that also have a lower cost than 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 history program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college 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 History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for History (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 35 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,145 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about History at Stanford University

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,117 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State LA.

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 be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 119 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,130 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 University of California - Berkeley History Report

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 319 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,254 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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%.

Read full report on History at UCLA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Fresno 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $3,731 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Full California State University - Fresno History Report

University of California - Irvine ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 73 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about History at UC Irvine

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,115 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUDH.

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%.

Full CSUDH History Report

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. 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 also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $6,100 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

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 student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 State Fullerton

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $3,958 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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 87%.

Full Stan State History Report

California State University - Long Beach came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 143 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

CSULB also took the #14 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about History at CSULB

#11

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 174 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCSB.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at UCSB

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

UCR also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $9,151 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at UCR

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 75 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $6,883 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge History Report

University of California - Davis came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 113 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $10,769 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k 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%.

Read full report on History at University of California - Davis

University of California - San Diego ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 90 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $9,974 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCSD.

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

Read more about History at University of California - San Diego

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school awarded 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,880 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

Read more about History at CSUB

#17

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k list, SDSU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SDSU.

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

Read full report on History at San Diego State University

With a ranking of #18, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 64 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $14,680 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on History at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

California State University - Sacramento came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 111 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $7,823 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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 $30-$48k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 83 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $5,869 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about History at California State University - San Bernardino

With a ranking of #21, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school handed out 78 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUSM has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $10,347 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on 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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 127 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $11,793 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about History at University of California - Santa Cruz

#23

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 78 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,517 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Full SFSU History Report

#24

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k list, San Jose State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $11,752 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at San Jose State University

With a ranking of #25, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 76 bachelors’s history 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. It costs about $9,630 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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

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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