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2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

37 Ranked Colleges
3,115 Degrees Awarded
$11,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 37 colleges that offer 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.

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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for History in California (With Aid)

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

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%.

Read more about History at California State University - Los Angeles

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 97 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

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

Read full report on History at California State University - Fresno

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. CSUDH is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $4,215 for california bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 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. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

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

Full California State University - Fullerton History Report

#5

Stanford University

Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,496 for california bachelor’s degree history students with aid per year to attend Stanford University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school awarded 58 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 students.

Read more about History at California State University - Stanislaus

California State University - Northridge came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and 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. It costs about $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge History Report

University of California - Irvine came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 73 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree history students with aid list, UC Irvine has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

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 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%.

Full UC Irvine History Report

California State University - Long Beach came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 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. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSULB History Report

#10

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid 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 also took the #4 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

The 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on History at UCLA

#11

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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 97 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

UCR also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

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

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 37 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $5,318 for california bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

Full CSUB History Report

With a ranking of #13, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 90 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree history students with aid list, UCSD has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

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

Read full report on History at UCSD

#14

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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 174 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree history students with aid list, UCSB has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree history students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of California - Santa Barbara

University of California - Davis ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 113 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on History at UC Davis

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 111 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

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 more about History at California State University - Sacramento

#17

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 119 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students 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 $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree history students with aid per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 full report on History at UC Berkeley

#18

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 64 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree history students with aid per year to attend SDSU.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 89%.

Full SDSU History Report

#19

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 83 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

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 full report on History at CSUSB

California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSM, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,399 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.

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 full report on History at CSUSM

#21

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

With a ranking of #21, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 48 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid per year to attend San Jose State University.

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

Read more about History at San Jose State University

#22

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #22, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 78 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #18 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree history students with aid per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read full report on History at San Francisco State University

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 Getting Aid ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 76 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree history students with aid list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

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

Read full report on History at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 64 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo History Report

#25

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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 127 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree history students with aid list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $18,186 for california bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

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

Full UC Santa Cruz 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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