Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

History

Find Schools Near

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

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 32,905 people earned their degree in history, making the major the 22nd most popular in the United States. 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. 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The history school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for 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
#1 in overall quality

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. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $1,145 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

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. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 61 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,117 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Cal State LA

#3 in overall quality

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 - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 119 bachelors’s 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 University of California - Berkeley.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at UC Berkeley

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 319 bachelors’s history degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,254 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCLA History Report

#23 in overall quality

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 - Fresno landed the #5 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 97 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also took the #23 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,731 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about History at Fresno State

#9 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine came in at #6 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 - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #9 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,373 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

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 full report on 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. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s history degrees 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 low student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

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

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 103 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $6,100 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton History Report

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

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

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.

Full California State University - Stanislaus History Report

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 143 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #14 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,595 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSULB.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about History at California State University - Long Beach

#11

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 174 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

UCSB also took the #5 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara History Report

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#13 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 97 bachelors’s history degrees 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 University of California - Riverside is $9,151 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 University of California - Riverside

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 75 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #22 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge 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%.

Read more about History at California State University - Northridge

#6 in overall quality

University of California - Davis 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 #14. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 113 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students 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 University of California - Davis is $10,769 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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 93%.

Full University of California - Davis History Report

#8 in overall quality

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. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,974 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full University of California - San Diego History Report

California State University - Bakersfield 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 #16. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Full CSUB History Report

#17

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#17 in overall quality

San Diego 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 #17. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 2.8% 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 San Diego State University

#7 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,680 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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 more about History at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

California State University - Sacramento 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 #19. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 111 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,823 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

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 full report on History at Sac State

#20

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 83 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino 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

#20 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUSM is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 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. The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $10,347 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#22

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #22 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 - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 127 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #11 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,793 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

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

Read more about History at UC Santa Cruz

#23

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#18 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k list, SFSU has also earned the #18 rank 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.

Read full report on History at San Francisco State University

#24

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#12 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Jose State 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. It costs about $11,752 for california bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Jose State.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about History at San Jose State University

#21 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #21 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,630 for California Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

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

Read more about History at Cal Poly Pomona

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.

Credits

Featured History Schools

Find Schools Near You