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2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

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

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid” 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the history program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting 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. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 344 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 estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $15,023 for california history students with aid.

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

2

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 91 ’s history 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 Cal State LA is $3,302 for california history students with aid.

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 full report on History at California State University - Los Angeles

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 89 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california history students with aid list, Fresno State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,230 for california history students with aid per year to attend Fresno State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about History at California State University - Fresno

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 145 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #16 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,003 for California History students with aid per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

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%.

Read more about History at California State University - Fullerton

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. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 164 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for california history students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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%.

Read full report on History at CSULB

6

University of California - Davis ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 120 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $15,768 for California History students with aid.

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 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%.

Full UC Davis History Report

7

California State University - Sacramento ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 145 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california history students with aid list, Sac State has also earned the #13 rank 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 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 Sac State

8

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 109 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

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

9

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

UCSB also took the #4 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,252 for california history students with aid 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on History at University of California - Santa Barbara

10

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. 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.

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 California State University - Stanislaus is $6,566 for California History students with aid.

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

Full California State University - Stanislaus History Report

11

University of California - Riverside ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 134 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside 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 University of California - Riverside History Report

12

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 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. 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 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%.

Read full report on History at UCSD

13

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 149 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for California History students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about History at University of California - Berkeley

14

University of California - Irvine ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 95 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,209 for California History students with aid per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

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 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Irvine History Report

15

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. 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. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $8,107 for California History students with aid.

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%. 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 California State University - San Bernardino History Report

16
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 83 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $13,845 for california history students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on History at SDSU

17

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

It costs about $4,026 for California History students with aid per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

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 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. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 95 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,459 for California History students with aid per year to attend SFSU.

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 full report on History at San Francisco State University

19

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 135 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best History Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $17,930 for california history students with aid.

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

20

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 67 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

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 California State Polytechnic University - 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 California State Polytechnic University - 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. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 70 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $13,218 for California History students with aid.

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%.

Full CSUSM History Report

22
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

With a ranking of #22, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 49 degrees 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 $17,563 for California History students with aid.

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 Sonoma State University History Report

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. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 69 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State also took the #23 spot in our “Best History Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $16,218 for California History students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at California State University - Chico

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. California Polytechnic State University - 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best History Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for California History students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo History Report

25

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