2023 Best Value Colleges for History (Income $0-$30k) in California
27
Ranked Colleges
5,392
Degrees Awarded
$8,300
Avg Net Price*
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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 32,731 people earned their degree in history, making the major the 23rd 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 looked at 27 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
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
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 344 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on History at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. 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 made our “Best History Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $8,450 for California History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about History at University of California - Berkeley
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - 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 $10,006 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Davis.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #4 spot on the 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,568 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 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
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. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 89 ’s history degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,859 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k 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 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
California State University - Fullerton ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 145 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #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 excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal State Fullerton History Report
University of California - San Diego ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 80 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,823 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSD.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on History at University of California - San Diego
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State LA 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $1,887 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about History at Cal State LA
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 164 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSULB has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,663 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full California State University - Long Beach History Report
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. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 134 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,810 for California History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCR.
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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Riverside History Report
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Stan State also took the #21 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus 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%. 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 full report on History at California State University - Stanislaus
California State University - Sacramento ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 145 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
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
With a ranking of #13, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 95 ’s history degrees to qualified students.
UC Irvine also took the #7 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $6,540 for California History students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 more about History at University of California - Irvine
With a ranking of #14, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 90 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $0-$30k list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for 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 low undergrad 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 91%.
Read more about History at University of Southern California
With a ranking of #15, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,266 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
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
With a ranking of #16, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 83 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $7,169 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 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about History at San Diego State University
With a ranking of #17, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 135 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,038 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz History Report
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,985 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full CSUSB History Report
California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #19 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 Carson, California, and it awarded 46 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $2,657 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on History at CSUDH
With a ranking of #20, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 95 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.
SFSU also made our “Best History Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $10,705 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFSU.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full San Francisco State University History Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 67 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $10,349 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 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 64 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,173 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo History Report
California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 70 students in 2020-2021.
CSUSM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $9,397 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 full report on History at California State University - San Marcos
Sonoma State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 49 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.
SSU also took the #19 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. 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
With a ranking of #25, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 69 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State also took the #23 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,754 for california history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Chico.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full California State University - Chico History Report
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