College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

30 Ranked Colleges
5,392 Degrees Awarded
$12,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 30 colleges that offered a degree 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the history program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More History Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 in California For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california history students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for History in California (With Aid)

1

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 Getting Aid list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 344 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

UCLA also took the #2 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,023 for California History students with aid 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 undergrad 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 UCLA History Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 91 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $3,302 for california history students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Cal State LA

3

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 89 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Fresno State also took the #18 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $6,230 for california history students with aid.

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

Full California State University - Fresno History Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 145 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california history students with aid list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for California History students with aid.

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

Full California State University - Fullerton History Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 164 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,054 for california history students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 California State University - Long Beach History Report

6

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 120 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,768 for California History students with aid per year to attend University of California - Davis.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at UC Davis

7

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 145 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

Sac State also took the #13 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $11,178 for California History students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State History Report

8

California State University - Northridge ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 109 students in 2020-2021.

CSUN also took the #17 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $8,523 for California History students with aid.

The undergrad 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 CSUN

9

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 161 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california history students with aid list, UCSB has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $16,252 for California History students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of California - Santa Barbara

10

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california history students with aid list, Stan State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $6,566 for california history students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, 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

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 134 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $11,822 for california history students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCR History Report

12

With a ranking of #12, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 80 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california history students with aid list, UCSD has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $15,240 for california history students with aid.

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

Read full report on History at UCSD

13

University of California - Berkeley came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 149 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $16,032 for California History students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read full report on History at University of California - Berkeley

14

University of California - Irvine landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 95 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $12,209 for California History students with aid.

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

Read full report on History at UC Irvine

15

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 72 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $8,107 for California 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. 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 full report on History at California State University - San Bernardino

16
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 83 students in 2020-2021.

SDSU also made our “Best History Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $13,845 for california history students with aid.

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

17

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. CSUDH is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $4,026 for California History students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.

Read full report on History at California State University - Dominguez Hills

18
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 95 students in 2020-2021.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $14,459 for California History students with aid.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about History at San Francisco State University

19

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 135 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $17,930 for california history students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on History at UC Santa Cruz

20

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 67 ’s history degrees 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. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $14,304 for California History students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on History at Cal Poly Pomona

21

California State University - San Marcos came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 70 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSM also made our “Best History Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $13,218 for California History students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at CSUSM

22
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. SSU is a public institution located in Rohnert Park, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SSU also made our “Best History Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $17,563 for california history students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Sonoma State University

23

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 69 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california history students with aid list, Chico State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $16,218 for california history students with aid.

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%.

Full Chico State History Report

24

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #10 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for california history students with aid.

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

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo History Report

25

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options