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2023 Best Value Colleges for History (Income $48-$75k) in California

27 Ranked Colleges
5,392 Degrees Awarded
Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 $48-$75k” ranking looked at 27 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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.

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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 $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for History (Income $48-$75k) in California

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 344 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,644 for california history students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCLA.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCLA History Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 149 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best History Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $13,423 for California History students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 UC Berkeley History Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 120 students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,193 for California History students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Davis.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of California - Davis

4

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #4 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.

In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $48-$75k list, Fresno State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,030 for california history students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Fresno State.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 more about History at Fresno State

5

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 91 students in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also took the #24 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $5,700 for california history students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full Cal State LA History Report

6

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 161 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also made our “Best History Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $14,583 for california history students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSB.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about History at University of California - Santa Barbara

7

University of California - Riverside landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 134 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCR has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,126 for california history students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about History at University of California - Riverside

8

California State University - Fullerton came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 145 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $48-$75k 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 $9,017 for california history students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 2.5% 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 Cal State Fullerton

9

California State University - Long Beach came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 164 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB also took the #11 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $11,189 for California History students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national 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

10

With a ranking of #10, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 80 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSD has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,310 for california history students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - San Diego History Report

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 51 students in 2020-2021.

Stan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $7,976 for California History students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

12

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Irvine, 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.

UC Irvine also made our “Best History Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $13,275 for California History students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on History at UC Irvine

13

California State University - Sacramento came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 145 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $12,602 for california history students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on History at California State University - Sacramento

14

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 109 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

CSUN also made our “Best History Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $10,780 for California History students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on History at CSUN

15
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 90 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $48-$75k list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $22,826 for California History students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at USC

16

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 72 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSUSB has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,854 for California History students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

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 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%.

Read full report on History at California State University - San Bernardino

17

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 $48-$75k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 135 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $15,567 for california history students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz History Report

18
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 83 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,698 for California History students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SDSU.

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 undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Full San Diego State University History Report

19

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $6,333 for California History students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills History Report

20

With a ranking of #20, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 67 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,958 for california history students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cal Poly Pomona History Report

21
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 95 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $48-$75k list, SFSU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $16,065 for California History students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at SFSU

22

With a ranking of #22, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUSM 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 #22. It costs about $14,309 for california history students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUSM.

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 full report on History at CSUSM

23

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 64 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,340 for california history students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo History Report

24
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 Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 49 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california history students whose families make $48-$75k list, SSU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sonoma State University is $17,985 for California History students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full Sonoma State University History Report

25

With a ranking of #25, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 69 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

Chico State also made our “Best History Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $16,738 for california history students whose families make $48-$75k.

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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